SBW ‘bit of a serial offender’
Steve Hansen is clearly developing a tolerance for Sonny Bill Williams’ brain explosions – and at least this time his mercurial midfielder’s moment of madness did not cost the All Blacks a test match.
The All Blacks coach, who was also dealing with injuries to hooker Dane Coles (possibly knee) and skipper Kieran Read (mild groin strain) in the wake of a twopaced 38-18 victory over France here, produced a mild condemnation of Williams’ 47th-minute mindflip in their November test opener.
The 44-test dual Rugby World Cup-winner, who had played well in the opening half, somehow forgot he was playing rugby union, and not his ‘‘other’’ sport of rugby league, and batted a well-weighted crosskick dead from the ingoal area.
In league that’s, as they say in these parts, In rugby it’s just deadheaded.
Williams was immediately sinbinned for what was deemed foul play ingoal, and upon review the French were also awarded a penalty try, which Hansen admitted, after receiving advice from his trusted sidekick, was a fair call. It also proved the catalyst for a storming French second-half comeback that turned a rout into a genuine contest.
Williams, of course, is no stranger to bad judgments in the heat of battle.
He was sent off in the first half of the second test against the British and Irish Lions for a brainless shoulder charge to the head of Anthony Watson that probably cost the All Blacks a series victory.
Hansen was not so much protective as fatalistic about Williams’ latest incident (sure to fire up his critics) at a packed Stade de France which turned the tide of the test. After trailing the All Blacks 31-5 at halftime, the home side closed to 31-18 a dozen minutes into the second spell and appeared to have the New Zealanders reeling.
‘‘He doesn’t know the rules because he was playing league,’’ said a cool and collected Hansen afterwards.
‘‘In league you’re allowed to smash it over the dead-ball line. It’s a good lesson for Sonny and he knows next time to catch it, rather than bat it over the line.
‘‘I knew what Sonny did wasn’t legal. You’re not allowed to pat the ball over.
And Hansen explained why his initial exasperation over the penalty try soon turned to acceptance.
‘‘I was surprised until Fozzie [assistant coach Ian Foster] told me the rules. I didn’t realise that, once he committed that foul play, he was then deemed to be invisible. If you commit foul play in goal you’re not there. Once I understood that, it was obviously going to be a penalty try because [Yoann Huget] might have caught it.’’
Hansen said Read’s groin strain, and 48th-minute substitution, was ‘‘not a biggie’’ but made to avoid the risk of aggravating it more. Coles’ situation is potentially more serious.
‘‘Dane is off to get a scan. It’s a bit of a mystery. I’m not sure what’s happened. Doc tested him and all the ligaments feel pretty stable. He felt his foot get caught in the turf, but we’re not sure what he’s done.’’
Hansen lamented a second-half ‘‘loss of discipline’’ that invited the French back into the test, but said his frustration levels were only sitting at five out of 10 as his team secured its 11th straight victory over the French, and their ninth all told in 2017.
‘‘We allowed the momentum to shift and the French were good enough to take that opportunity. But I was very happy the way we fought through it and scored a good try at the end.
‘‘If you look at all the injuries and people not here, you have to replace that experience with inexperience ... they’re growing and learning. It’s not always the same guy making the mistakes. At some point we’re going to have to learn because it will cost us a match. If we go back to June it probably cost us one there.’’
‘‘Sure did. Same guy too. Bit of a serial offender, as it turns out.