Sonny Bill Williams inspired by Kiwis' win
AP - Sonny Bill Williams took inspiration from the Kiwis' Four National rugby league final defeat of Australia as he delivered a man of the match performance for the All Blacks.
Former league star Williams drew plaudits from All Blacks coach Graham Henry for his trademark one-handed off-loads in the tackle as his team routed Scotland 49-3 in their rugby union Test at Murrayfield on Saturday.
"As long as I can keep my foot in there, stay in the 22 and get a bit of game time here and there, I know I'll improve," said delighted centre Williams after only his second rugby international.
Williams had risen early to watch on television as his old Kiwis "bros" stun the Kangaroos 16-12 with a last-minute try in the Four Nations decider in Brisbane.
"I was pumped up watching the boys go, I definitely took inspiration out of it," he said.
"Back when I was playing there was still that gap between us and Australia.
"Right now, I think we're up there. You can just see the way the boys play. They play with such aggression, they're not scared of Australia."
Williams was especially impressed by playmaker Benji Marshall, whose flick pass contributed to Nathan Fien's match winner.
"Benji had a magnificent game, he's really come to the fore.
"Benji has just blown me away the last couple of months the way he's been playing.
"He's one of those guys you go to games to watch, he's a special talent," said Williams, who could have been talking about himself.
"It was great seeing him go well especially when he and I were coming through the grades we had similar (shoulder) injuries.
"We were out together and it was pretty tough on him. It's great to see him back on track."
Williams said it would be interesting if that track eventually brought the Kiwis skipper to rugby.
"We always talk about the league boys and who would do well. He's probably a Quade Cooper (Wallabies) kind of player.
"He can create something out of anything, he's light on his feet."
Post a comment about this article
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Becoming a member is free and easy, sign up here.