GUINNESS PRO12: Nick Williams putting Ulster friendships aside as Cardiff come to Kingspan

For four seasons backrow forward Nick Williams struck fear into oppositions coming to Kingspan Stadium with his immense physical presence.

But the Polynesian will be in the Cardiff Blues colours this time for a crunch Guinness PRO12 game.

If he starts, or is even named on the bench, Ulster will be in no doubt what to expect.

And while the big fans favourite when he was in the Ulster jersey admits it will be hard coming up against some of “his closest friends” - he will not think twice about it.

“I had half the team and their partners at my wedding, so there is a genuine closeness there,” said Williams and then in the next breath: “But this is rugby you can be enemies on the pitch and brothers off it.

“As soon as I cross that line, we’ll be going for each other - and it will be great to bang off a few familiar heads during the game, but when the whistle goes it’ll be hugs and kisses and whatnot.”

Ulster assistant coach Neil Doak admits facing Williams is a bit daunting, given what they know he is capable of.

“If he does get the ball we’ve got to make sure six of us can tackle him and the others can just scramble like mad,” he smiled.

“It has that added spice with Nick coming back. We know what he can do and he obviously knows what he brings to a team.

“We’ve got to make sure we don’t let him play a part of that.”

Williams’ departure from Belfast was not what he wanted and was similar to the situation Ruan Pienaar finds himself in now.

Like Pienaar, Williams did not want to go, but the choice was not his to make.

He explained: “You realise that there are higher powers in control. Whatever the IRFU decide, that’s the last resort.

Like Piney (Pienaar), I was obviously gutted that I had to up and move the family, but it’s the nature of the game we play.

“You have to look at the positive. Piney will enjoy what he has left. Let’s not lie, he didn’t want to leave.

“It’s a business and you can’t be caught up in the emotional stuff.”

Cardiff’s hopes of automatic qualification into next season’s European Champions Cup have gone (they cannot finish in the top six).

However, there is still plenty at stake as the current eighth place side in the PRO12 are hunting down seventh place in the league and the chance of going through a play-off series for spot in Europe’s premier event.

They are two points behind reigning PRO12 champions, Connacht and the two are basically going head-to-head for that seventh place.

Cardiff came close to defeating Leinster in Dublin a fortnight ago and last weekend they gave Gloucester a hard push in the European Challenge Cup and will certainly not be making up the numbers on Friday night against an Ulster side pushing their case of the PRO12 Championship semi-finals.

Williams said: “We know our top six chances are dashed but we want to stay in our position.

“With the four games coming up, essentially three home games, we’ve got nothing to lose.

“Going to Kingspan is not easy, but the pressure is not on us and we can go out and express ourselves.

“Watch this space on Friday,” Williams adds, something that Ulster will certainly be wary of in their penultimate home game of the regular league season.