Rare Goodhue, Williams pairing possible

AUCKLAND: Perhaps, finally, we could again witness the All Blacks’ firstchoice midfield pairing this week.

It has been a long wait, since late June, to be exact, since Sonny Bill Williams and Jack Goodhue enjoyed their sole gallop together.

Four months on, a degree of unfamiliarity may exist should they, indeed, be handed their second start against England.

Circumstances have conspired against the All Blacks giving these two more time this year; the latest instance was glandular fever forcing Goodhue out of the final Bledisloe in Yokohama.

‘‘There was a bit of fatigue at the end of last week so he’s had a couple of really good days of training and looks like he’s 100%,’’ All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster said.

‘‘He trained fullon today so if he recovers well, that means we’ve got four midfielders ready and available.’’

It is not the first time Goodhue’s health has proved problematic. This time last year Goodhue debuted in a midweek match in Lyon, but missed the start of that tour, too, after being struck down with the mumps.

Since then, though, the 23yearold Northlander has been an irresistible force at centre for the repeat championshipwinning Crusaders.

While the All Blacks have plenty of options in the midfield, with Ryan Crotty, Anton LienertBrown and Ngani Laumape — who collected three tries against Japan last week — all performing well, Williams and Goodhue are now probably viewed as the premier pairing.

The only catch is we have not seen quite enough of them as a combination to be sure.

A headline test at Twickenham may be the perfect place to assess their World Cup readiness, not that Foster was giving anything away.

‘‘Our midfield now is jumping out of their skin. The last two weeks we’ve probably seen the energy levels and workrate in that group as good as it’s been all year. Then you put Ngani’s performance in Tokyo into that mix and that creates its own degree of pressure so it’s a nice place to be.

‘‘Sonny has had the least rugby and is probably still finding his top form. I think that’s a fair thing to say. I’ve been delighted with the way the four of them are working well together. They spend a lot of time discussing the game and growing the collective part of the midfield.’’

The All Blacks know what they get from a WilliamsCrotty partnership.

By contrast, this year’s third test against France in Dunedin is the only other time Williams and Goodhue previously started together.

The hunch is they could be the best 1213 New Zealand has — yetas a pairing they remain something of an unknown.

In his five tests, six matches for the All Blacks, Goodhue started alongside Laumape three times and once outside Crotty, coming off the bench in his last appearance, the loss to the Springboks in Wellington some seven weeks ago.

The best midfield partnerships are, generally, crafted over time. Think world recordholders Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith; Jason Little and Tim Horan, Frank Bunce and Walter Little, Joe Stanley and Warwick Taylor, Jean de Villiers and Jacques Fourie, Gordon D’Arcy and Brian O’Driscoll, Will Carling and Jeremy Guscott.

The list goes on.

Midfielders are a different breed in the sense it is as much how well they complement each other as what their individual strengths are.

It is, perhaps, harsh on Crotty, after 42 tests, that his dependability may be surpassed, especially given Williams’ lack of form.

But the All Blacks always put team first, and the attacking potential Williams and Goodhue could unlock appears too tempting to ignore. Crotty’s value can also still be utilised.

Both Williams and Goodhue are big men — both punching over the gain line. Goodhue has also quickly mastered many of Crotty’s qualities; the decisionmaking under pressure, distribution and rock solid defence.

We may see this week whether those skills combine immediately with Williams.