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Wallabies looking to expose rookie Williams

Cape Town - Tevita Kuridrani admits it will be a deliberate ploy of the Wallabies to target rookie centre Owen Williams in the Wales midfield when the sides meet on Saturday in Cardiff.

Wales coach Gatland appears to have foregone his 'Warrenball' approach which was based on big strike runners running hard and direct. 

Instead Gatland is opting for a more subtle approach having chosen Williams at inside centre over the bulkier veteran Jamie Roberts. 

Williams will make his first start for Wales and the Wallabies duo of Kuridrani (102kg) and Samu Kerevi (105kg) will be looking to exploit any defensive frailties at the beginning of Williams' international career. 

Kerevi and Kuridrani have been running as the centre combination at Wallabies' training in the Welsh capital this week and are likely to start together. 

“That’s the game plan we’ll try and work on it,” Kuridrani told Roar. 

“We’ll try and target the 10 and 12 channel. It’s something I’ve been working on. 

“We’ve got a few good guys on the backline as well … so we’ll target the wide channels as well.”

However, Williams does have the benefit of world-class outside centre Jonathan Davies on his outside. Davies won the British and Irish Lions player of the series against the All Blacks, which ended in a 1-1 draw. 

And Kuridrani, who comes in to the match in red-hot form, having scored a hat-trick in the Wallabies' 64-34 demolition of Japan last weekend, has a ton of respect for the Davies and the threat he poses. 

“The one big challenge this weekend is playing against Davies,” he said. 

“He’s a world-class player and I’m looking forward to the challenge again. 

“We have a new combination as well in the centres and are trying to adapt to getting that combination right as well, so we’ll see how it goes.”

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