Williams v Kaino tonight in eagerly awaited contest

Nick Williams' coach says he has an amazing array of skills and an irrepressible attitude. Picture / Glenn Jeffrey

It's called second-year syndrome. Just as it happens to groups with their second album, so it happens to sportsmen in their second season.

You arrive on the scene with a hiss and a roar, big words are written and said about your potential, and next time up your opponents are lying in wait to trip you up, looking to prove there's nothing behind the hype.

Nick Williams was aware of that when the NPC season began. The burly North Harbour No 8 made a big impact in his debut season last year, playing all 10 games for Harbour.

He won a spot in the Blues Super 12 squad. He started one game at lock and his other five appearances - four at lock, one at No 6 - were off the bench. Again, he caught the eye.

So when this year's NPC began, expectations were high. There has been the odd hiccup - most prominently his pass straight into a pair of Canterbury hands 10m out from the Harbour line which cost a try - but the signs of a significant talent are all there.

Tonight, Williams will square off against former All Black Jerome Kaino, who is back after an injury layoff. It should be a thunderous contest.

"It has been a huge thing at the back of my mind, upholding that standard," Williams said of the second-year syndrome.

"Last year I was the new kid on the block. No one knew who I was. It has been hard at times when teams have maybe targeted me, but that's the pressure of the game."

Williams was outstanding when Harbour went to the capital and dumped Wellington. He scored a hat-trick of tries against Northland when he was at times unstoppable, and he is a key in what has become one of the best packs in the competition, one which has all the important bases - scrum solidity, lineout dominance, powerful ball-runners - covered.

"It's all about synchronisation between the backs and forwards. Everybody is doing their job and everything's falling our way this year.

"But the forwards are really putting their hands up," Williams said.

The one black spot on the campaign is the first-round loss to Auckland, 27-10. They will have incorporated that stinging memory in their buildup this week.

"That was our biggest learning curve this season. We got outmuscled and out-passioned," Williams said.

But Harbour of August 13 and Harbour now are vastly different teams. The occasional tendency to stand around and think what to do next is gone. They are playing with more knowledge of what is required and how to achieve it.

Luke McAlister's return from All Black duty has given them a gifted conductor behind the scrum, and captain Rua Tipoki and Anthony Tuitavake have been perhaps the best midfield combination in the NPC.

Harbour have won four games in succession, everyone seems to have belief in the man alongside them, and it is showing.

As for his own game, Williams is happy with progress but knows there's much more to be done.

"In every game there's something new to learn, and I've been doing lots of learning with the Blues, the All Black trial and two seasons with Harbour."

His coach, Allan Pollock, acknowledges there's much to be done, but has high praise for Williams' not getting swayed by his reviews.

"He's kept his head down, making great strides in the right direction. He's got an amazing array of skills and an irrepressible attitude for playing the game."

NICK WILLIAMS

Born: February 12, 1983
Height: 1.90m
Weight: 122kg
Position: No 8
Super 12: Blues 2005, 6 games
NPC debut: v Taranaki, 2004.
NPC games: 19
Also: New Zealand under 21, 2004.