last shot at success
Williams joined the club from Chinnor days before lockdown and hasn't taken charge of a league match yet, in his 18 months in charge, after Scottish decided to sit out last season. That will change when the Exiles, led by captain Brian Tuilagi, welcome Jersey Reds to the Royal Athletic Ground on Saturday September 18.
“I'm excited by the challenge that faces London Scottish.
“We've got the smallest budget in the league and we are playing catch-up every week because everyone has had ten games and used it as a long preseason leading into a full season, On paper, everything is stacked against us,” he said.
“Pre-season has gone well and we are excited about upsetting the apple cart.
“What we are going to bring to the party is super-physicality, a great setpiece and a few surprises along the way.
“I relish the fact everyone is writing us off as cannon fodder. That is only motivating myself and the lads more.
We won't be cannon fodder.”
Scottish's chances of sticking one to the naysayers haven't been helped by some untimely injuries.
“To add to the underdog (label), we have had a handful of tough injuries, and all of them seemed, on face value, fairly innocuous,” Williams mentioned.
TEAM-BY-TEAM GUIDE
Never one to lose sight of how important his time in the Championship was to his development as a player, in 2019 Ward returned to England's second tier to begin his coaching journey, as player-coach at Ampthill.
At the end of last season he took up a new job as head coach of Bristol Bears Women but with his memories of the Championship still fresh in his mind, we've asked him to run through the chances of each of the 11 teams ahead of the 2021/22 season.
“Poor Josh (Drauniniu) jumped for a ball against Richmond last week and landed awkwardly and is having a knee op this week.
“Charlie Ingall, against Ebbw, took a tackle, nothing more than a generic tackle, and fractured his leg, and Morgan Dawes, who I am very excited about, and I brought out of the National Leagues, fractured his jaw in the first game.
“So we've had some pretty tough luck but I am not one to dwell on issues and we will make sure come game one against Jersey at home, we will more than give a good account themselves.”
