Can Farrell kick the Lions to victory?
The thoughts of Sonny Bill Williams ...
It is day 14 of Ramadan and Sonny Bill Williams is being goaded by his wife, Alana, as he poses for photos in the lunchtime sunshine on his terrace overlooking Auckland.
‘Come on, Sonny, smile like you’re about to break your fast!’ she jokes.
there are five hours remaining until he can eat and the only food on show are the crumbs left by his two-year- old daughter, Imaan, who has been tearing around with a handful of crackers.
Welcome to the ordinary world of the extraordinary star; the A-list sportsman who has a weekly spending budget and fits training around daily prayers.
‘Sometimes you get a little bit grumpy during your fast, bro,’ he says. ‘But you just have to remember the reasons why you do it. You know warriors went for days eating half a date back in the day?
‘It makes you realise how fortunate we are to walk to the fridge and get what we want, or go to the kitchen tap and just have some water. Some people don’t have that luxury. It’s a blessing.’
Williams has been balancing his fast with All Blacks training, but weeks of near- starvation have not impacted on his freakish physique as he offers a rare insight into his private life.
Six-month-old Aisha, his second daughter, is asleep inside and his face finally lights up when Imaan pokes her head out from the living room and runs out to pick up the spare camera.
‘When I play footy, I think about my daughters,’ he says. ‘ How am I going to raise them? What can I do to make sure they become good young ladies? Footy is all I’ve ever really known so all I can do is try to show them through actions — and interactions with their mother. ‘I know I’m not everyone’s cup of tea but I represent a lot of proud people. Family, friends, supporters, my faith. I’m a proud Muslim. It’s given me a feeling of happiness and contentment I’ve always looked for. I see it as a responsibility. You’re scared of stuffing up for them.’ Family will be on Williams’ mind when he fulfils his dream of facing the Lions on Saturday. His c. v already boasts a World Cup winners’ medal, NRL titles in rugby league, a WBA International heavyweight boxing title and a Sevens appearance at last year’s Olympics, where he met the world’s fastest man — before tearing his achilles tendon. ‘the Olympics was cool, bro,’ he says. ‘You could see the hunger in the athletes’ eyes. I got injured but that was one of the biggest blessings of my life. I got to spend nine months at home with my girls and become more religious. It made me realise I can find contentment away from footy. ‘I hung out with Usain Bolt for about half an hour. that was cool but I didn’t really say much. He’s pretty smart and switched on. He was getting into the politics of his sport. He’s the fastest man in the world but he keeps it so real. I love that.’
Conversation turns to the general election in the UK. Williams is curious, asking about the national healthcare system, but claims to have no expertise or interest in party politics.
But what about Donald trump’s stance on Muslims being denied entry to the USA?
‘I try not to worry about that kind of stuff,’ he answers. ‘I just try to be a positive person and a positive human being. that’s all I care about. I’m not going to sit here and worry about Mr Donald trump. I’d rather worry about my daughters. What can I do about policies being made on the other side of the world?
‘It’s like the politics of footy. You know it’s there, 100 per cent, but if you start worrying about that sort of stuff, you’re going to be crying for the rest of your life.’
But Williams has, unintentionally, become one of the most political figures in rugby. On his comeback from injury in April, he taped over the Bank of New Zealand sponsorship on his Blues jersey and prompted a worldwide debate without saying a single word.
‘It’s simple,’ he explains. ‘that incident wasn’t about creating a big fuss. I was so focused on coming back with a bang, da da da, and I forgot all about it. When I went to put my jersey on, I thought, “You know what, I’ve been wanting to do this for a while now” and just picked up some tape.
‘I have it in my contract with the NZRU that I don’t have to deal with banks or alcohol companies. I believe alcohol is no good for my body. thank God, I’ve been a Muslim for a while and don’t drink. We don’t believe in interest, either. We believe in keeping it simple and not overextending yourself.
‘Me and my wife live off a budget each week and if I were to have a career-ending injury we would be able to sustain that. It’s quite a simple outlook on life. Not getting too caught up on materialistic things. I’m a simple man.
‘If I stick to a budget and save my money on the side, it takes a lot of stress off my family. Alhamdulillah, thank God that we’ve been able to purchase a place that we could rent out and live off.
‘Before I became a Muslim, I lived up in a flash house in toulon and would worry about where the pair of boots I’d ordered were or some rubbish like that. then I met a tunisian family living in a onebedroom apartment in the projects. they didn’t have much but they always had me round for breakfast and never asked for anything back.
‘they always asked Allah for guidance and it really struck a chord. there were four kids, who slept in the lounge, but they were always content.’
Williams is now content in his home in the Auckland suburbs. It is decorated modestly — the walls
‘Getting injured was a blessing. I had nine months with my girls and became more religious’
are bare of photos because eyes are believed to scare away angels — and there is a makeshift gym in the garage. His Ford 4x4 is parked on the driveway, ready to offer a lift back to the airport, and all is peaceful until Imaan rips off an electric recovery pad from his right thigh.
‘Alana, come and get this rascal please!’ he shouts.
Tears quickly follow and Williams caves in as he is struck by guilt. ‘Who do you love more? Mummy or daddy?’ he asks. ‘Sister!’ she answers. ‘ That’s a good answer!’ he says, rearranging the electro-pads.
‘You need these things when you get older, bro. I’m not a young fella any more.’
Rugby rears its head after an hour of talking about faith and family. Rugby league was Williams’ first love as a youngster and he knew little about the Lions. He idolised Mal Meninga and Brett Mullins, preferring to watch Australia’s State of Origin with his brother, but has educated himself on the history of the Lions and is ready to add his own chapter.
‘Being a rugby player now, I understand the magnitude of the Lions,’ he says.
‘I always knew about guys like Jonah Lomu and Tana Umaga. Everyone knew Jonah. He was the man.
‘We didn’t see many Islanders as captain so for Tana to be All Blacks captain really made us stand up and think, “How cool is this?”
‘Jonah was the first worldwide superstar and he was a Polynesian. We were at school seeing him on McDonald’s adverts and thinking, “Wow, how did this happen?”. They made you realise that your dreams are possible.’
Williams has taken over as the pin-up of New Zealand rugby. His Hollywood offloads have revolutionised attacking play — helping the Blues defeat the Lions earlier this month — and the tourists have spent hours analysing his unique attacking style.
‘ It’s funny because I was watching a game that my mum recorded when I was five,’ he explains. ‘I was doing some outrageous flicking out the front, out the back. I’ve always just done it since a young fella.
‘Then when I first came to rugby, I remember the coach pulling me up to say, “Why are you trying to offload? You shouldn’t do that”. Da da da. Now it’s just part of the game.
‘He was like, “Mate, just hold the ball and cart it up”, but I couldn’t help it. I just go through and chuck it sometimes. From a technical point of view, I just think about trying to break the tackle. If you think about trying to offload before then it’s just not going to happen. I don’t really practise it. Sometimes I simulate getting chopped down low but not really. I spend more time practising defence and breaking tackles.
‘I’ve tapered it down with some game understanding. We might be up by three points with two minutes to go and you’re not going to try a flick pass. When we were chasing the game against the Lions, that was the time to do it.’
There will be more offloads today. Williams is ready to add a series victory over the Lions to his c.v and he will then target the 2019 World Cup.
Surely then, his sporting journey will be complete?
‘I’m 32 this year, bro, but thank God I’ve really looked after my body,’ he says. ‘I’m contracted until I’m 34 then who knows? If that’s it, that’s it. If I don’t make it, I don’t make it.
‘I wouldn’t mind a year in England… I’ve always wanted to. I might have a few boxing fights, too. Inshallah, that all comes to fruition. I could see myself playing to 35, easy, but only God knows.’