KEY POINTS:
As North Harbour and Counties Manukau waged battle in pre-season yesterday, there was another fight of significance - the battle for bragging rights at the Williams' dinner table.
Nick Williams, Harbour captain for their first year attempting to defend the Ranfurly Shield, was up against his teenage brother, Tim Nanai-Williams, who made his unofficial Counties debut at fullback from the bench.
The bullocking No 8, who is a proud family man, thought his protege did well.
"He has always had a bit of an X-factor and I have no doubt that, in time, he is good enough to play well at this level," said the 119kg powerhouse after North Harbour's 18-10 pre-season win in Pukekohe yesterday.
"It is always exciting seeing a sibling come through. It's a little different when he's on the opposition but I think he did really well and he was stoked to be there."
And Tim, who produced a couple of his trademark jinking runs, enjoyed taking on his older brother.
"It was weird [playing against him] because I'm so used to watching him from the sidelines," he said. "He was great and is such a good player.
"I was pretty nervous and the game was pretty physical and fast but I feel I did all right. It was awesome seeing how I measure up against the big boys and, now I have a taste of it, I want to play at that level a lot more."
Nanai-Williams' selection turned heads during the week as the Manurewa High School First XV skipper has just turned 18. But those close to the gifted fullback know he has a big future.
The director of rugby at Manurewa High School, Andrew Talaimanu, believes it is not too early to promote Nanai-Williams.
Talaimanu, a former Counties coach and player who has had a leading role setting up the south Auckland school's successful rugby academy, has seen his share of talented kids.
"It is irresponsible for me to say that he is going to be an All Black, because that would put too much pressure on the kid," said Talaimanu. "But he is certainly talented. Out of all the boys I have coached, he is as good as any I have seen at his age."
Counties Manukau coach Kevin Putt was more circumspect. He said the inclusion of Nanai-Williams and another teenager, Frank Halai of Wesley College, was to test the waters and to introduce them to the demands of professional rugby.
"It is a bit premature to talk about how good they can be. Time will tell us of how they can develop as rugby players," said Putt, who ruled out their inclusion in the Counties Manukau squad for 2007.
"They are excelling at their age group, they are both fantastic athletes who love to counterattack and show just incredible skills. But we don't want to force their progress and we think they are not physically capable to deal with a full season of the Air New Zealand Cup just yet."
A New Zealand Secondary Schools representative, Nanai-Williams' fast-tracking to provincial rugby from school mirrors what Doug Howlett achieved as a fresh-faced Auckland Grammar schoolboy playing for the blue and whites in 1996.
But a new rule employed by the NZRU will prevent the same recurring. The national body have introduced a policy that players under the age of 18 on July 1 are ineligible for the NPC.
Putt believes this is for safety reasons. "It is to protect talented young players so they have the chance to mature physically and it will reduce the risk of serious injury."
The battle for supremacy between the Williams brothers is on hold for another year.
For now, Nick can enjoy bragging rights but his dominance of his sibling could be under threat.
