Sonny Bill Williams returned to New Zealand hoping to be the first-choice pick in the All Black midfield come World Cup time, but he is far from doing that yet.
The code-hopping superstar scored just a single try in 2015 for the Chiefs, and while hindered by numerous back strains and shoulder injuries, Williams didn’t make the impacts on or off the field that many rugby followers expected.
At crucial moments in games, Williams has looked indecisive, put himself into positions where he was receiving the ball in isolation, and it led to a few desperate and predictable offloads into the hands of opposition players.
Make so mistake about it, many thought that the Chiefs would win Super Rugby this year because of Williams being in the side.
It didn’t appear that Williams mentored any of the Chiefs youngsters either, in fact sources say that towards the latter part of the season, Williams barely took part in any physical contact training because he was nursing the injuries, at the request of All Black officials.
Some in the New Zealand media have speculated that Williams was wrapped in cotton wool deliberately, and that it had nothing to do with the Chiefs who wanted more time out of the midfielder.
Williams played his fair share of games this year, but didn’t look the goods.
Compared to the brilliance of other Super Rugby midfielders like Conrad Smith, Ma’a Nonu, and at times Malakai Fekitoa, the form of Williams in the midfield this year was appalling.
It was that of a player who was looking to the future rather than the now, perhaps trying to decide if going to the Olympics in Rio playing sevens was on Williams’ mind, or maybe talk of the next big fight in the boxing ring wasn’t as undiscussed as Williams’s team made out.
Sources say that Williams has become disillusioned with NZ Rugby, but the reasoning as to why is unknown, perhaps attitude is a factor.
Williams will likely play for the All Blacks next week against Samoa, and he must find the form which has chronicled his successful career in union so far, a career where he proved almost every critic wrong by showing he can be just as devastating in the 15-man game as was in league.
In partnership with Aaron Cruden, Williams was destructive but he will have to form something quickly with Daniel Carter, Beauden Barrett, and Colin Slade.
Williams has a long way to go, with minimal international games, and an almost impossible mountain ahead of him in the form of Ma’a Nonu if he is to get starting selection come World Cup time.
The poor form of Williams has been a disappointment for rugby fans so far this year, and with Williams likely to join the NZ sevens squad next year for the Olympics, his on field appearances for the Chiefs could be minimal at best going forward.
Did Williams prove that he is worth the hype this year?
All the stats, all the footage, and all the performances say not, far from it in fact. Time is quickly running out.
Williams is yet to announce where he will be playing post RWC.
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