Crusaders star Sonny Bill Williams is one of the top two centres in Super Rugby, Tim Horan says
Damaging ... Williams is causing oppositiong defences problems with his off-loading ability. Source: AFP
Sonny Bill Williams is creating an enjoyable selection headache for the All Blacks selectors ahead of the Rugby World Cup.
Williams turned in another dominant display for the Crusaders early Monday morning as he helped the Kiwis dispatch the Sharks 44-28 in a one-off match at Twickenham.The entertaining spectacle was labelled "rugby to make you drool" and had British press gushing about both Super Rugby and SBW, after the former NRL star featured heavily in the five-try win with his trademark run and offload skills.
After returning from France to New Zealand with the goal of playing in the World Cup, all questions about whether Williams could adapt to the centres in rugby are now well and truly answered and his selection in the All Blacks squad is already a formality after five weeks.
Former Wallabies inside centre Tim Horan, a two-time World Cup winner at No. 12, believes Williams would currently still be on Graham Henry's bench but doesn't discount the giant centre changing the coach's mind.
Do you think Sonny Bill Williams will be one of the All Blacks starting centres at the World Cup or will they stick with Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith? Have your say at the bottom.
"The Kiwis have Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith and they tend to show loyalty and pick the incumbents first off, but Sonny Bill is starting to put a lot of pressure on," Horan said.
"He would be in the top two centres in the competition and the more he plays with Dan Carter and understands the game, he'll keep improving."
The form of Williams has jogged the memories of many Australians and Kiwis, who hadn't seen him play since leaving the NRL in 2008.
But Horan said the "apprenticeship" Williams had served in French rugby last year had helped educate the 108kg centre on how to transfer his skill and imposing size into rugby.
Williams's league instincts haven't fully disappeared - he was penalised for a shoulder charge on Ryan Kankowski - but a pre-match directive from the on-looking Henry to cut loose definitely worked.
"Ted [Henry] wants me to run the ball more, and I was trying to take that on board," Williams said.
Such was their collective brilliance in London, the Crusaders backline could comfortably swap red for black jumpers.
Led by star No. 10 Carter - who scored 22 points - they combined to tear apart the Sharks with four first-half tries that took the Kiwis to a lead of 34-10 before the Africans fought back.
With 35,000 in attendance the match raised over $NZ370,000 for earthquake-related charity, and was the perfect advertisement for Super Rugby.
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