Sonny Bill Williams Reveals The Best Players He Played With and Against
Rugby NewsMonday, 11 June 2018 at 12:28
All Black centre Sonny Bill Williams has been talking about players he played with or against who made a lasting impression on him.
In an interview with Australian website Sporting News, the cross-code superstar listed the top 14 rugby or league players he had encountered during his playing career.
There is no room for All Black legends Richie McCaw and Dan Carter, with whom Williams won the Rugby World Cup this year.
He could also not find a spot for any Springbok players.
1. Nehe Milner-Skudder
Equal top try-scorer at RWC 2015
"What he did at the 2015 World Cup was really special, especially from where he started the year."
2. Malakai Fekitoa (New Zealand)
"When I’m finished I’ll be sitting there with my kids saying ‘I played with that guy’."
3. Kurtley Beale (Australia)
"He’s a player I’ve loved watching over the years and I don’t think he gets the acknowledgement he deserves. He was one the best players – if not the best player – for the Australian team in the World Cup. Just his skillset, and you can tell that he’s got his stuff together off the field as well."
4. Jonah Lomu (New Zealand)
"He’s someone that stood out because even when I didn’t play rugby I knew who he was. You just have to go back and watch some highlights of him to see how crazy what he did was. You don’t see players these days running through ten blokes on the way to the tryline."
5. Jonny Wilkinson (England)
"I’m lucky enough to say I’ve played with Jonny Wilkinson and have seen the commitment that he had. When I played with him, he was pretty much at the height of his powers, but the way he dedicated himself to his craft was unbelievable and I learnt a lot from him."
6. Kieran Foran (New Zealand)
"I’d definitely throw Kieran Foran in there. My halves would be Kieran Foran and Johnathan Thurston – no doubt. Foran plays like another forward and those are the types of players you want to play with, especially being a forward myself."
7. Keven Mealamu (New Zealand)
"I’d have Kevvy in there not just for what he’s done on the field, but for what he’s done off it. When you’re in that All Blacks environment and you see what he does, he’s such an inspiring person."
8. Jerome Kaino (New Zealand)
"He’s such a nice guy and easy going, but when he gets to that paddock he’s like a savage. He’d definitely be one who could play league. I love the way he plays and carries and smashes, there’s just no fear in him."
9. Thierry Dusautoir (France)
"From my time in France I’d have to say, Thierry Dusautoir. He’s not just an amazing player, but you can see the way he rallies his troops and how he performs in those big games. He’s someone I really admire."
10. Anthony Mundine
"He’s a guy like me, who played across rugby league and boxing and he did it at a really high level. He’s a guy a definitely look up to and the thing about Choc is that he did it before anyone else did it."
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