Wallabies star singles out two Springboks for praise after bruising double-header

The Springboks hosted Australia in two thrilling encounters earlier this month. In the first clash in Johannesburg, the visitors stunned the world champions with a 38-22 victory – marking their first win over South Africa on home soil in 12 years and their first triumph at Ellis Park since 1963.

The rematch in Cape Town a week later told a different story, with the Boks securing a hard-fought 30-22 win at DHL Stadium.

Grant Williams, the Springboks' ascending number nine, earned the Wallabies veteran's admiration following the two bruising battles, with White describing himself as a big fan of his counterpart's playing style.

"Grant Williams, wow! He's a talent, isn't he? He's unbelievable. You know, he's lightning," he told the Behind the Ruck podcast.

"He gets away from the breakdown like that (clicks his fingers).

"Like he's gone three steps. And you know, certainly in that first game, he was firing some passes with some serious width that was troubling our defence.

"You know, you've got his pass mixed with (Manie) Libbok's pass.

"And before you know it, they've come out of like eight, nine, ten defenders and they're running up edges."

White highlighted a previous shortcoming in Williams' game but feels he has improved considerably and predicted a bright future for the Bok number nine.

"I think there were kind of question marks over his kicking, but he silenced that in the last two weeks massively," he said.

"I think Grant Williams is going to be a real talent for the next little while.

"I had a little moment with him in the sheds after. Got to swap jerseys and we got a photo together because you know, I was pretty keen to swap jerseys with a guy like him because I think he's going to be something special over the next bit of time."

Meanwhile, White also had special words of praise for two-time World Cup winner Eben Etzebeth, describing him as not just a powerful enforcer but also a smart and instinctive player who reads the game brilliantly.

"I would say that there's a perception out there of Eben Etzebeth to be the enforcer and he certainly is a big man and enforces. But I think a huge part of his game is smart," he said.

"So I think his kick chase, his work rate, he just has one of those abilities to be where the ball bounces around the scraps with your kicking game.

"He's really smart. That try in the URC when I think the ball came out when someone was about to box kick it and he ran and just grabbed it and went the length.

"He's really in tune with the game. Around the lineout, like he'll come through lineouts, he'll make some great reads.

" I think he's an incredibly smart footy player. Like he obviously gets all the raps for being an enforcer and a big man.

"Honestly, I think his knowledge of the game is something that I look at him and think that's what makes him world-class."

White highlighted how challenging it is to execute his box kicks when Etzebeth is constantly on the prowl and looking to apply pressure.

"I came off that game at Ellis Park two weeks ago and said to one of our coaches, 'That's the most pressure I've ever felt in my life on my box kicks'.

"I don't know how I got them all away. There was a couple, I think if you look back, I decided to just sneak them past his ribs and just kind of kick them next to him rather than try to go over him because he got on top of me.

"And that was a real game within a game at Ellis Park. He was putting incredible pressure on my box kick. I said it immediately after the game, 'That's the most pressure I've ever felt'.

"I went back and had a look and I was like, 'He's got to be offside'. His timing was impeccable. I thought, unbelievable.

"He's right up there."