1
Sonny Bill Williams 'a cut above' the average Mitre 10 player
ADVERTISEMENT
When the All Blacks released Sonny Bill Williams to play for Counties Manukau this week he had two big boxes to tick; get some minutes under his belt and prove his body can handle those minutes.
He did both in Katikati on Saturday, playing 80 minutes of rugby in a preseason outing for Counties – one half against Wellington and another against Bay of Plenty in a ‘Game of Three Halves’ preseason hit-out.
It was crucial game time for the midfielder, who has played just 38 games of XVs rugby since the 2015 World Cup final, with the All Blacks’ first World Cup match less than 50 days away.
While neither encounter allowed him sufficient space to really set the world alight, he did everything he needed to. The first was a scrappy 5-all draw with Wellington while the second, played into a strong breeze, resulted in a 31-0 pummelling at the hands of Bay of Plenty.
Williams’ class and match awareness were obvious throughout. He embraced contact, threw a few trademark offloads and the odd brave individual who chose to run at him certainly felt the full impact of those big shoulders.
The environment was in stark contrast to the last game he played – the All Blacks 16-all draw with South Africa in their Investec Rugby Championship Test in Wellington. He said he had enjoyed his time in Katikati and playing for Counties.
ADVERTISEMENT
Alhamdulillah we get to live in New Zealand. Such a beautiful country. Love & blessings fam ???? pic.twitter.com/X07a1NydeJ
— Sonny Bill Williams (@SonnyBWilliams) August 2, 2019
“[The goal was] just to get through 80 minutes, have a bit of fun and enjoy it. The body’s feeling good, it was good to get through 80,” Williams said afterward.
When asked if he felt he was in good stead to play in the Rugby World Cup, Williams said: “I hope so, we’ll see.”
Counties Manukau head coach Darryl Suasua said Williams was an influential leader in the side without putting himself on a pedestal.
ADVERTISEMENT
“He (Sonny Bill Williams) listens and he’ll add his bit but he’s still learning the stuff we’ve been working on, he’s only been here a week. He just puts himself down on the same level as everyone else, he’s not someone who wants everybody to look up to him.
“He’s awesome, he’s a great guy. He’s come in and he works hard with the boys. There’s a real bit of class, you could see in the first half there when the boys were fresh and Wellington’s second team came out there he created a lot of space for us, it’s great to have him out there.
“One of the things we could see when he first came in and trained with us is the difference between him and the boys who have come out of Mitre 10 or Super Rugby – he’s certainly a cut above.”
It was also Williams’ 34th birthday, something two young locals made note of when they hijacked the loudspeaker to sing him happy birthday as he ran onto the field. It took Williams half an hour to leave the field at the end of the game as he was mobbed by enthusiastic fans.
Williams will play for Counties again next week in their regular season opener against Taranaki in Pukekohe.
“From that it’s obviously a week by week thing around what the All Blacks want,” Suasua told Radio Sport. “The instructions for us were to see if we could get him as much game time as possible. We love having him on board.”
Game of Three Halves Results
Wellington 24 Bay of Plenty 15
Wellington 5 Counties Manukau 5
Counties Manukau 0 Bay of Plenty 31
Comments on RugbyPass
It couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
77 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
44 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to comments