I bet somewhere, in his heart of hearts, Sonny William Williams has thought about and maybe even wished he had signed up with the ARU to play for the Wallabies.
Sure, it’s a great honour to represent New Zealand and the All Blacks, the greatest rugby team of all time, but playing off the bench with the odd game in the starting XV is probably not what he had envisioned.
All was looking rosy after the Super Rugby season. The Crusaders had made the final, he’d had an outstanding debut season and his main rival for the All Black centre spot had looked ordinary all year.
But then Nonu pulled on the black jersey (the All Black one, not that imitation England job with the numbers that fall off) and with his faithful side-kick Conrad Smith, made his case to remain New Zealand’s first choice.
If Williams had instead signed with the ARU, things could have been very different and I’m sure the big guy has thought about this from time to time.
He may well have ended up at the Reds outside his mate Quade Cooper, had an equally outstanding season culminating in a Super Rugby title, and unlike in New Zealand, he would have been an automatic centre selection for the Wallabies.
Drool. Imagine Sonny William Williams playing at 12 or 13 for the Wallabies. The one area in which our so-called best backline in the world lacks true talent in both defence and attack.
Not only would he get far more game time, but dare I say it, he would actually perform better in the Wallaby back line than he has at the All Blacks.
His style is more suited to the Wallabies game and as they don’t have an established centre-pairing, it wouldn’t be as disruptive as trying to fit him into an established centre partnership that is arguably the best in the world.
Fortunately (for the Wallabies and the rest of the world), Graham Henry hasn’t appeared to click onto the idea of playing Williams on the wing.
That’s right, the wing. You heard it here first.
This is the best spot for Sonny Will in the All Blacks set-up. Nonu and Smith are a package – they’ve played together at international level for years and their experience and value as a duo should not be underestimated.
But as Sonny Bill showed against the Tongans, he’s just too good to be left out of the side. In other internationals he hasn’t proved to be much of an ‘impact’ player off the bench, so why not give him a run out wide?
He’s fast enough, he can break tackles and he can offload in almost any situation, providing the perfect platform for finishers such as Dagg and Smith to get over the line.
But for as long as Henry and the All Blacks continue to miss this trick and keep Sonny on the bench or out of the side altogether in the big games, so too will Sonny wonder about what could have been if he had chosen to make a go of it with the Wallabies.
At this point it’s too early for regrets but that may change by the end of the tournament.
The All Blacks are still firm favourites to finally win the Rugby World Cup after a long drought, but whether they do it and whether it’s with or without Sonny William is yet to be seen.
Calcio
Guest
This article reads like so much dribble now. SBW is about to leave union with every major trophy he could win in his pocket once the All Blacks clean up this new tournament they currently head the table in.
Chuck
Guest
Jiggles and republican I think you may want to go and do a bit of research on who helped who out of the gutter in terms of rugby then come back and post your apology for your ignorance.
Chuck
Guest
I think you'll find he has both a New Zeland and Samoan passport. You will also find that his mother is Pakeha / White New Zelander and his father Samoan. Born and bred in New Zealand. But is it because he is beige he must ignore his caucasian ancestry?
Johnno
Guest
You to republican all the best with Aussie rules thread see you again on rugby threads soon mate.
Republican
Guest
Johnno Agreed. The commercial top down approach to growth however dictates that there is no room nor the time for this dated criteria to be realised, despite the codes obvious need to be afforded heaps of time to grow a domestic culture of Union in this country. All the best to you anyway; I will now return to my comfort zone of Australian Football threads.
Igor
Guest
I believe Karmichael Hunt is also a kiwi, and was picked for the Kiwi League team until Wayne Bennett talked him out of representing NZ so he could play state of Origin
Jiggles
Roar Guru
With out Australia there is no way NZ could compete in the professional era. All there players would be in Europe.
Johnno
Guest
But repub tha tis the thing new comps start and develop, they have to start form somewhere. A-league soccer as opposed to ethnic driven old NSL. Also sydney and brisbane strong club culture so could develop full time pro comp between 2 countries,a nd perth is coming on good. I agree the super 15 or super series is allots comp ,costs a fortune to run, is not a long term money spinner for all 3 nations. id have maybe a nr; style super comp aust and NZ. soUTH AFRICA IS big enough to survive on it's own. Grassroots NPC and sydney and brisbane club comp should be priory an where the money is. Imagine afoul strength NPC or a aust-nz only super series would be great.
Republican
Guest
Johnno I don't pretend to know much about the politics of the code here however it seems to me the priority should be to create a strong NPC to compete with the other footy codes. I don't see the Super series as fulfilling this role myself. The contradiction that handicaps Union is that Australians are unlikely to support the code at this tier and that's because it is not ingrained in the Australian Sporting psyche as is Aust Footy, League and more recently Soccer. This is why it has been put in the too hard basket by the codes administrators - the demand just doesn't exist.
Johnno
Guest
And republican you can blame the aru for that. So much pacific island talent lost to league in western sydney. However the ARU can do some buying of western sydney league talent, in relaity get the NRL to spend all the money developing the backs then steal them. I think jarred hayne will have a shot at union one day, and benji marshall. K.Hunt played french rugby and did well.
Republican
Guest
Samoa mo Samoa I believe there has been a concerted effort in Oz to shrug and indeed move beyond the confines of the elite pvt schools system that it has for so long relied on for grass roots. This has not yet been evidence at the elite tier of the code here, since most of the players continue to be predominately products of private schools nurseries. Ironically I think Union has League to thank for being the catalyst in this country, to broadening it's appeal however the fact remains that Union is not embraced by the majority of the Australian sporting public the way other codes are and I really can't see that changing any time soon.
Dan
Guest
ah crap he was my RWC fantasy team kicker... any suggestions on a replacement??
James P
Guest
Everyone has an Australian grandmother.
Samoa mo Samoa...
Guest
NZ Rugby also has a great domestic comp that is screened in Aust where a few Aust players play...without the S15 this comp would still thrive and with the international players...Oz would be stuck with interstate games and club footy to get by.1st Xv payers in NZ at least have a pathway, in Oz its about where you went to school or so I have heard that union is kind of an elitist sport in Oz for the rich.... Without NZ Oz rugby would not be what it is....
Ralph
Guest
Ha Ha Ha - you wish.
Coconut
Guest
I tend to agree with Republican, sport between the two countries is a two way street. Many Kiwi teams participate in the Aussie leagues and have Aussie coaches. However, since we are talking about rugby, the long term assistance by NZ to Australia in terms of building the game of rugby is there for all to see.... there was a time when the NZRFU organised regular test fixtures with their Australian counter-parts to keep them financially afloat as well as to generate parochial interest in the game in Australia. The export of players and coaches are just an extension of that ongoing support - and we could also point to the Super Rugby tournament as another way (with South Africa playing its part of course)rugby has developed in Oz. I seriously doubt you'd find any Kiwi who is resentful of this, as having rugby rise in popularity in Australia, and the competitive teams now established in Australia I'd say has lifted the level of NZ rugby as well. So it is a win-win.
jack
Guest
so what do you think of brad thorn? he played for oz in rugby league but the ABs in union! loyal?!
kiwidave
Guest
Scratch Carter from that lineup, he's injured (cue wailing and gnashing of teeth).
jeremy
Roar Pro
NiwdEyaJ, There's more than residency issues, I believe he has to be a citizen of the country in order to play for it, otherwise he'd be able to play for France, n'est ces pas?? I think it's irrelevant whether he's played in Australia for a period of time, especially given the majority of this time he played was as a professional rugby league player. The path from foreign-born, foreign-trained talent to the Wallabies is well-trodden, Dan Vickerman only recently reached the point where Australia's development programmes accounted for over 50% of his career. Clyde Rathbone is another Wallaby who'd represented South Africa and Australia, although his impact was far more short-lived. Both played age group representative at quite an old level. That's not a criticism, although I do love to get snippy with Wallabies supporters who accuse the All Blacks of being stocked with Pacific Islanders and Australian cricket fans who accuse the Poms of being stocked with Yaapies - the Wallabies contain a veritable United Nations of birthplaces - Genia (PNG), Moore (Saudi Arabia), Vickerman (South Africa), Ioane / Cooper (New Zealand), Pocock (Zimbabwe), etc. It's a reflection of international rugby union and the appeal of both the New Zealand and Australian teams - and countries - that there is such a rich diversity amongst the team's backgrounds. But as a thought experiment...having SBW working in trio with Ioane and Cooper? It would be absolutely insane.
JohnB
Guest
Cooper went to Australia when he was 13 or 14, so at least partly raised in Australia. And Kiwidave pretty much nails the question that would need to be answered before you could put him on a wing.