Sonny Bill may face the Boks

– The battered and bruised All Blacks listed Sonny Bill Williams as a possible starter against South Africa next week after he spent three months sidelined by a shoulder injury.

Concussion-prone Ryan Crotty was also declared fit to go, and lock Patrick Tuipulotu earned a recall on news that Brodie Retallick and Ngani Laumape would be out for several weeks after being injured in Saturday’s hard-fought 46-24 win over Argentina in Nelson.

Retallick could be out for up to six weeks with a shoulder injury while Laumape, brought into the squad as injury cover, faces missing three weeks with a damaged knee.

But coach Steve Hansen said Crotty and Sam Cane had recovered from head knocks suffered against Australia early in the Rugby Championship, while Rieko Ioane – recovering from a hamstring injury – and Williams were also in the frame for selection.

Crotty and Cane could have played, “but we just chose to give them another week”, Hansen said yesterday. –

Nelson