Last night at Nelson, Williams was man-of-the-match material in the Crusaders 36-8 win over the Sharks to clinch a Super 15 semi berth.
The 10th semi in succession, and 13th overall, continuing the mighty track record of the most successful franchise in Super Rugby history with seven titles from 16 attempts.
The only times the Crusaders have failed to qualify were the first two years – 1996 (12th), and 1997 (seventh) – and 2001 (10th), when the tournament was Super 12.
But qualifying this year has been something right out of the performance box.
The tragic earthquakes that have devastated their home town Christchurch, have also severely damaged their home ground AMI Stadium, forcing the Crusaders to play all their games away from home.
It’s been an Herculean effort to be constantly on the road, and only lose four games all tournament.
Now they have to saddle up for another long flight to Cape Town to meet the Stormers that finished on top of the South African Conference – a huge ask.
And there’s still no Richie McCaw, the Crusaders’ inspirational skipper, and world-class flanker, who is dogged by a foot injury.
But Kieran Read has done a first-class captaincy job in McCaw’s absence, and there’s no doubt he’ll do the same in Cape Town.
Read’s not the only one lifting the side. There have been three other members of the red-and-black brigade to step up with plenty of inspiration, and go forward – Dan Carter, Matt Todd, and Sonny Bill.
Carter, all class, and a super boot to keep the Crusaders in touch in this era of penalty, after penalty.
The 23-year-old Todd is only on standby for McCaw, but he would be an automatic selection in any one of the other 14 franchises. He’s fast, reads the game in advance, is a solid defender, a ball-runner, and he’s going to be around creating havoc for a long time.
And Sonny Bill.
When he controversially walked out of the Bulldogs in 2008, he was pilloried across the board by the rugby league fraternity that stopped just short of hanging him at dawn.
Second-rower Sonny Bill weathered the storm, signed with Toulon to play rugby for the first time, and made an immediate impact as an inside-centre – a rare switch.
Last year he signed with the NZRU in a bid to play in this year’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. Barring injury, he’ll romp it in, he’s already there.
Williams is a big unit – 191cm (6ft 3), and 108kgs – and he’s used it all to become only the second New Zealander to switch from a Kiwi league international to All Black since Karl Ifwerson in the 1920s.
But he’s not just big and fast, he has a football brain, and the incredible ability to off-load under intense pressure.
The Stormers already know at first hand his multi-qualities.
In round 12, the injury-hit Crusaders, with McCaw and Dan Carter among them, won 20-14 in Cape Town, with Williams turning in a blinder to take command of the mid-field.
That was a gutsy win by the Crusaders, and they are a better team now.
They will prove that early Sunday morning (0100 AEST) when Carter’s on duty, with Read, Todd, and Williams to continue to strut their inspirational stuff to clinch a berth in the final with the table-topping Reds who will account for the Blues in the other semi at what will be a chockers Suncorp of around 51,000.
The cream has surfaced with the top four teams after the regulation rounds making the semis.
Johnno
Guest
What am i on Damo what gives you that impression haha.
Damo
Guest
Okay Johnno, come on come clean with us. Tell us the truth - what are you on?
Damien
Roar Guru
Please get over yourself. The whole thing was a pisstake. It'll be different if JP didn't lay a hand on him or held his line but he tried to impede SBW. Thats a penalty in my book, the rule book and even the good book. SBW played it up no doubt and even laughed about it. Because it looked so stupid on the big screen. Thats how seriously he took it. Play on. Knocking the ball out of Lambie's hands was far worse. That was SBW being an eat arse. No reason for that. It was almost as if he thought 'Jeez this games boring, what can I do to spice things up. I know, I'll just be an egg and knock the ball out'. Everyone tries to play the ref..
Garth Hamilton
Roar Guru
Fiona
Guest
I am with you on that! He is a great player, with magnificent skills, but that dive, was so unnecessary!
Damien
Roar Guru
Not many boys can handle the limelight & pressure that SBW cops. The 'Defection' was pretty intense.
Johnno
Guest
SBW is the real deal but Matt banahon is the biggest outside back in international rugby , a whopping 6'7 118kg he is as big as bakes botha, and is bigger than brad thorn and rocky Elsom, he is massive will be a handle in the rugby world cup maybe even for SBW, but SBW can box, i have never seen him scare doff anyone on the rugby field or league field not even big willie mason. Willie mason would smash most of the rugby players he would eat bakes botha for breakfast, with 1 punch.
katipo
Guest
And yet SBW balances that by donating $100k to the ChCh earthquake appeal. I think the thing is he's just a boy. Not physically but mentally. But if he can mature in to a man... not 'the man', but a man. Well, watch out world.
Honest
Guest
The problem with SBW was never his exceptional skills. Its his integrity. I am a huge fan, but after the dive he took against JP Peterson, I have lost all respect for him. Diving is a professional foul, and not something that should be allowed in rugby.
Matt
Guest
The other option would be to have a staggered season (like the NH clubs do) where you have the domestic play interspersed with periodic cross border play. The same would then occur for the finals, meaning the quarters/semis/final don't have to be on successive weekends. Instead you'd have them staggered so that the travelling teams get longer to acclimatise and recoup before the knockout matches. So, for example, the NPC, Currie Cup and ARC final would be played two weekends before the Super Rugby final. All teams then get a week off in build up to the Final (so the travelling can happen over a week before the match). That would require a major rework, which is still another decade away.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
It was a penalty.
Manuwatu
Guest
There is no comparison between league and union! In one game there is a genuine contest for the ball in every facet of play and in the other game there is no contest for the ball at all unless it is kicked high in the air!
Jerry
Guest
Huge difference - prior warning. In the Melbourne test, both teams got away with doing it (unpenalised) before the ref issued a general warning that he wasn't gonna stand for it anymore.
Hoy
Roar Guru
Foi Foi was a union centre apparently.
Brizkiwi
Guest
Have and still haven't changed my opinion on the halfbacks, watch the u20 worlds and yes kiwis win again but even some of the up and comers seem to have that mentality of rallying the forwards seem to have lost the art of quick play the ball and yes Genia seems to be ok
nafe
Guest
mate I'm a SBW fan, but you're talking dribble. stay of the hash and you'll be fine.
nafe
Guest
yeah that's a good call. every action has a reaction.
Bayboy
Guest
On the same note why should the Reds be disadvantaged by having to play a higher qualifier? The Reds finished 1st so have the right to play the Blues.
allblackfan
Guest
that sounds suspiciously like common sesnse and u know what they say about that ... common sense is not all that common!!:-)
Shahsan
Guest
I think all this travelling that the finalists have to do is making the Super 15 competition (and Super 12 and 14 before it) ridiculous. Instead, I would suggest that the final four should play the finals at the one city and make a mini tournament of it. The city would be either the city of the minor premiers, or the biggest city in the country of the minor premiers. So, this year, for example, the semis and the final should all have been in Brisbane. That way, all teams will be on more or less equal footing, instead of teams like the Crusaders (and the Stormers) being severely disadvantaged by jet-lag and the effects of travel. As it is, if they beat the Stormers they then have to travel all the way back to either Brisbane or Auckland. This has always been my problem with the Super rugby finals. I'd rather watch a finals series of teams not affected by that much travel. Of course, there should be a reward for finishing in the top two, and that reward should be home advantage and a week's rest for the minor premiers, and a week off for the runner-up. After that, it's a case of may the best team win, not the one that travels the least.