The All Blacks decided against throwing Rugby League convert Sonny Bill Williams into the fray against the Wallabies in Hong Kong on Saturday because he is not good enough yet to swim at the deep end.
Despite fast-tracking the giant utility back’s entry into the New Zealand squad for the year-end tour, All Black coach Graham Henry on Thursday admitted it would have been too much of a risk exposing him to the battle-hardened Australians after just a few provincial games of Rugby Union in New Zealand.
Williams did not even make the replacement bench for Saturday’s Test in Hong Kong, with Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith named in the centres and Isaia Toeava listed in the reserves as cover.
Williams has been the most talked about member of the tour party, but the hyped-up 25-year-old will have to bide his time until the Grand Slam leg of the tour to add an All Blacks cap to his seven appearance for the Kiwis Rugby League team.
Toeava may have played five fewer games of provincial rugby than Williams this season, but the versatile Aucklander’s 26 Tests of experience ensured he was the logical choice to cover the midfield and outside backs.
“We didn’t want to fire Sonny Bill in at the deep end,” Henry said when posed the obvious question.
There was also the inference that Williams had to earn his right to acquire a test jumper, despite him being a certainty to tour since his return from France in June.
Courtesy of rugby365.com
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giant utility back ❓ 🙄
Ridiculous headline…… ! 🙄
Trust me he’s good enough !
….but then again so is Maa Nonu
….I imagine he won’t feature against the English either and then will probably start against Scotland.
He is currently on fire….won’t be long, brace yourselves ! 😎
@McLovin (Comment 1) :
Need to remove the ❓ He is a giant they aren’t shoulder pads under his jersey….I don’t know if you have seen him yet !
… but SBW and Freaun will be a massive handfull in the S15 you wouldn’t want to be a light weight centre 😎
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 3) : He’s the same height & weight as Jaque Fourie.
Giant hype maybe. 😈
Feaun’s the same size as Jean de Villiers. 🙄
Andries Bekker, now there’s a giant.
@McLovin (Comment 5) :
I think it is 109kg & 108 kg versus 105 kg & 103 kgs
All about the same height !
Makes for some serious traffic in mid field !
The young duo make for an exciting prospect.
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 2) :
Not against England?????? 🙁 I was hoping he’d play 12 against them.
@McLovin (Comment 4) :
@McLovin (Comment 5) :
😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 ❓ ❓ ❓ ❓ I didn’t know that?????
Are you sure?
Fruean = 109
SBW = 108
Fourie = 105 (according to SARU)
JdV = 103 (according to SARU)
The surprise to me is not that the Boks weight less it is rather that SBW weighs less than Fruean.
i know there’s mad hype around sbw but he does seem to have the x-factor and is an able player. It’s clear to a even a novice that he is being fasttracked into the all black squad – whether that is fair to other players like ben stanley is debatable – one doesn’t know maybe the nzru is trying to cash in on his ‘celebrity’ status before the world cup.
If he can work on his defence & positioning on D then he’ll be fine..
Fruean is a BEAST!!! He should be back up for Conrad Smith but he is up against a Father Ted favourite Ice Toeava…
The pair even dwarf the first-choice All Black midfield of Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith, who tip the scales at a collective 197kg. The skilful Smith is the featherweight of the quartet at 95kg wringing wet.
Brad Barritt (probably the england 12)
Statistics
Squad Saracens
Position Centre/Fly half
Age 24
Height 1.86m (6’1″)
Weight 95kg (14st 13lb)
Barritt stats from the RFU website.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 12) : Jamie Roberts 107kg
Juan de Jongh 87kg 🙁
Nothing like a big, fast outside back.
But Jacques Fourie is without doubt the most physically gifted centre in world rugby.
105kg, but he the 4th fastest in the current Bok squad (only behind Habana, JPP and Spies). We all know how powerful he is too – or you can ask someone like Nonu. 😈
That said, JDJ may be smnaller, but he uses his weight well, and he has plenty of gas and agility.
Anyway, De Wet Barry, at his prime, was less than 95kg, but he destroyed plenty of bigger opponents (remember Kefu?).
@Big Fish (Comment 14) : i’d like to see Mossie take on Robbie Fruean in full flight, he would definitely see his gat..:D
@Big Fish (Comment 14) :
They don’t call him TWG13 for nothing!!! 😈
(Actually, HE calls himself that) 🙄 😕
@Megatron (Comment 15) :
Somehow I doubt that. He has never seen his ass, in many years of rugby. Closest was a fluke big hit by Oupa Stef.
@wpw (Comment 16) :
Jokes aside, he could well be. Certainly the most physically imposing.
I actually agree with the artice.
If you have a very good centre pairing that has just won the Tri Nations for you, and is in superb form, why drop either of the two?!
Id love to see SBW, but he will have to wait for an opportunity. Can you imagine this oke not getting a game at the World Cup next year?!
Sensible selection policies by NZ. SBW hasn’t been that impressive in the ITM Cup.
Maybe he’ll improve as he gets to know union’s structures better, but thus far I don’t see what all the hooha’s about.
@rhineshark (Comment 19) : read an article a few minutes ago where a certain guy hinton was raving about the possibility of the sbw/robbie fruean combo..something about their combined weight being 217 kg (and i believe they both stand in the region of 1.93m)..monster centre combo!!!