Analysis: How the All Blacks unleashed Sonny Bill Williams against Scotland
Sonny Bill Williams’ play this season has been the subject of stern media scrutiny – so much so that All Black coach Steve Hansen stepped up last week to ask reporters to back off and leave him alone.
The reality is the role Williams plays in the All Blacks midfield has changed. He is being asked to do different things, most of which go unnoticed: exit or platform carries (with no offloads), clean out duties or option running that turns into clean out duties. Ultimately he has not been the central attacking figure in the All Black attack, which means he has limited chances to make the highlight plays we are used to seeing.
That changed on the weekend when the All Blacks unleashed Williams against Scotland – a deliberate change by the All Blacks that proved he’s still an attacking force. There were a high number of constructed plays around Williams as the primary playmaker or receiving option, which led to him being involved in two big plays – both times freeing up Damian McKenzie, leading to All Black tries.
H3 ‘Hit 3’ Option
The first scrum of the game showed the first signs Williams would be heavily involved in the game with a simple ‘H3’ play. The play uses 12 as the primary playmaker and is designed to isolate the opposite 13. Barrett (10) will give early ball to Williams and then wrap around, while Crotty (13) will run a short, hard line off Williams. He’ll either hit Crotty short or Barrett out the back, depending on which man the defending centre (Huw Jones) has eyes for.
Jones is caught ball-watching, losing sight of where Crotty is running. Williams hits Crotty short who explodes past Jones before being tackled by the cover defence. Jones is exposed badly – Barrett never got around to be a real option on the play, leaving no excuses for letting Crotty run free.
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The All Blacks run a very similar play to H3 on the next scrum 10 minutes later, with a slight change and positional variation– Crotty moves into 12, Williams moves to 13 and the ball is given straight to Crotty at first receiver instead of Barrett. This will be the play the All Blacks will score with later on with Williams back at 12.
Making the play
With Williams a clear part of the set piece attacking plan, the All Blacks get an attacking lineout early in the second half. They are set to run another play off him when he identifies Scotland’s fullback, Stuart Hogg, defending wide as the ‘last man’ with no cover in behind. Williams is seen changing the play at the last moment, calling a grubber kick for the outside runners.
On the wide shot, we can also see Scotland’s winger Tommy Seymour (14) and halfback Ali Price (9) stationed up in the line on the blind side, leaving no sweeper to cover a kick in behind. Typically the halfback would perform a sweeper role, tracking the ball from behind the maul or ruck. Price is in no position to do so. With Hogg also on the wing, Scotland is vulnerable to a short attacking kick.
Barrett gives Williams early ball, who draws the line up and deftly grubbers in behind. With Hogg on the wing and no sweeper, McKenzie runs a perfect line and scores.
Back to H3
With the match in the balance at 15-10, the All Blacks go back to their variation of H3 with Williams at first receiver. As we saw in the first H3 play, Crotty will run short outside and Barrett will wrap around the back.
With Williams at first receiver – rather than Barrett, Williams gets alignment against the much smaller Finn Russell, and decides to take him on one-on-one.
Russell’s outside man, reserve Peter Horne, only has eyes for Crotty and does not break ranks to help Russell.
Russell makes a low tackle on Williams, leaving his ball-carrying arm free to offload. Centre Jones makes another poor decision by committing to contact with Crotty, who does not have possession and was already covered by Horne.
Had he stayed alive, he may have shadowed Barrett out the back or blocked the passing channel between Williams and McKenzie.
McKenzie makes a brilliant adjustment to his line, takes the offload and immediately spins the ball out to Barrett coming around the back for a beautifully executed All Black try.
The All Blacks opened up the playbook against Scotland to give Sonny Bill Williams multiple chances to make the big plays – and he did, proving again what a world-class player he can be. His key involvement in two tries was a key difference in the end as the All Blacks won 22-17.
READ MORE:
Scotland need wins, not glorious defeats – Andy Goode
Comments on RugbyPass
What a sad way to end a glittering career. Somebody should tell him to delete his social media accounts and face the consequences of what he's done. Then he should slip away quietly into obscurity. This isn't likely to happen, something tells me he'll be back in The Sun / Daily Mail sooner rather than later.
2 Go to commentsguys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
2 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
228 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
3 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
86 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
30 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
228 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
228 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to comments