Sonny Bill 'improving' his skills
Code-hopper Sonny Bill Williams may be in fine physical form, but his skills require some fine-tuning.
Williams, always a main attraction at any media day, fronted up when the Chiefs faced a horde of scribes ahead of their Super Rugby pre-season outing against Blues later this month.
The Chiefs have a drastically changed roster, with over half of their 2014 squad having departed, but some of additions more than make up for the losses – especially in the back division.
Williams, Seta Tamanivalu (the 2014 NPC player of the year), All Black Hosea Gear, Under-20 prodigy Damian McKenzie and All Blacks Sevens star Bryce Heem represent arguably the best backline recruitment of any team.
Quentin MacDonald, Michael Allardice and Johan Bardoul are the headline additions to the pack.
However, it was Williams that attracted most of the attention.
"We've got some great talent here at the Chiefs, some young guns coming through," Williams told the media scrum.
"For me, the All Blacks are in the back of my mind, but the beauty of the Chiefs is that no position is guaranteed.
"I know I have to work my butt off just to get into the starting side," said the 29-year-old code-swapper.
By his own admission he had a year-tour of mixed fortunes with the All Blacks and will be working hard to regain the sublime form he displayed for the Chiefs during their run to the 2012 Super Rugby title.
"It's about getting the skills back up to speed," Williams said.
"Coming back to Rugby [Union, from Rugby League] you have to use a lot more mental aptitude.
"Mixing it up physically won't stress me too much. But there's a lot of hard work to go."
Chiefs coach Dave Rennie described the conditioning of his high-profile recruit as "phenomenal".
"He's in good nick and it's a really good signal him coming in and being in such good condition this early in the season," Rennie said at the Chiefs' media session on Wednesday.
Much of that conditioning can be put down to Williams' preparations to get back in the boxing ring – against flabby New Zealand-based American Chauncy Welliver on January 31.
Williams, regarded as a model professional with his approach to training, recorded the fifth best Chiefs' time in the yoyo test, an anaerobic endurance test.
"From an All Blacks point of view, we have to manage those top tier players. We've got a good group and good depth and a chance to play a big guy and a quick guy and some variation around that, or two big guys," said Rennie, unconcerned about a possible injury to Williams in his boxing bout, just a fortnight before the Chiefs launch their campaign against the Blues.
"The key thing is that he plays well for us. A lot of people want to go to a World Cup, but they've got to play well in Super Rugby first."
Williams has always said that boxing, and the requisite intense training, helps, rather than hinders, his rugby.
"It's just so physically challenging. The boxing refreshes me mentally and gets me away from anything else. It's so scary and daunting, so it gets me in a place where nothing on the field will faze me after the boxing. It's just so uplifting, not just as a rugby player but as a person.
"I haven't been blessed with the skills to be a rocket scientist. I'm fortunate to be blessed to be able to play rugby or try my hand at boxing. I'm a father now and it really puts it into perspective. Sport is just sport. I just want to be the best father and husband I can be."
Source: NZ Herald
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