'There's no limit': All Black prop optimistic about future in black jersey

You could forgive Tamaiti Williams for being a bit distracted this week, having just re-signed with New Zealand Rugby and the Crusaders through to 2029, a deal that will keep him in a black jersey for both the 2027 Rugby World Cup and the British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand in 2029.

Williams returned from injury last weekend in the second Test match against Argentina, playing 38 minutes in the second half after a knee injury kept him out of the home series against France in July.

After the news late this week, the Northland-born 25-year-old prop says he and his family are grateful to have secured his long-term future with a club and a region he cares so deeply about, after making his debut for the Crusaders in 2021.

“Yeah in the end it was pretty easy. I love this club, and to be given the opportunity to stay here for for a few more years, it was pretty easy for me and my family,” Williams told media in Christchurch after the announcement.

“My agent sorts all that stuff out, but I expressed to him pretty early that I’m keen to stay in New Zealand and stay around at the Crusaders.”

Williams has played 19 Tests for the All Blacks in his relatively short international career, but when asked about his potential as a prop, the 25-year-old believes we haven’t seen the best of him yet.

“I think there’s no limit, really, my mindset is just to get better every day and yeah, who knows, I guess we’ll see in the coming years.”

“The knee is feeling good and I’m very grateful for the physio’s here and up at the All Blacks to come up with a really good plan and It worked out. But there’s a lot of hard work to do yet.”

Williams explains that the All Blacks will review the Argentina Test match on Monday, after deciding to delay the initial review until the Springboks week, and head back to New Zealand to be with their families.

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“We haven’t actually reviewed it yet, we left pretty early in the morning, and we just got a clear message to fill our tanks, come home, connect with our families.

“Then when we get up to camp on Monday, we’ll have a lot of good conversations and find some truths, but we’re looking forward to it.”

“It hurts when you lose in an All Blacks jersey, we have very high standards on ourselves, and we know it wasn’t our best performance.

“Personally, I know it wasn’t my best performance, but I guess we have this week to review our game and see how we can get better,” Williams said.