Sonny Bill Williams is changing the game of rugby!

or is he?
https://youtu.be/vEaqfG9oS6U

Look at the pass at the 3.30 mark
Who would you rather have in your team?

Sonny Bill Williams is a gifted player, possibly a great player (too early to tell yet) - is he changing the game of Rugby Union? No, just as Chris Ashton ISNT redefining wing play, SBW doesnt bring anything new to the game either (as your clip demonstrates), he is just very good at what he does do!

ML wrote:Sonny Bill Williams is a gifted player, possibly a great player (too early to tell yet) - is he changing the game of Rugby Union? No, just as Chris Ashton ISNT redefining wing play, SBW doesnt bring anything new to the game either (as your clip demonstrates), he is just very good at what he does do!

Agree 100%

Sonny Boy Williams is still learning Union,his off loading skill is rare in Union.
It is not so uncommon in League,it helps he is performing in one of the best backlines in world Rugby.All Black and Crusaders outside Dan Carter,inside Fruen.The Media Hype is overwhelming,just like it was for Cipriani,Henson,and now Ashton.

Sonny Bill Williams is a gifted player, possibly a great player (too early to tell yet) - is he changing the game of Rugby Union? No, just as Chris Ashton ISNT redefining wing play, SBW doesnt bring anything new to the game either (as your clip demonstrates), he is just very good at what he does do!

yeah cant argue that one bit. well said

Changing the game of rugby?? No of course he's not. He does exactly what other 12s have done - he simply does it much better. There have been players who have changed the game. But he isn't one.

People say Richie McCaw changed rugby. But he just does what Michael Jones did before him.

Just out of curiosity, who in your opinion can be said to have genuinely changed the game Stag?

Notch I know what your going for - that using my logic nobody can ever have been said to change game etc.

I would say that Michael Jones, Jonah Lomu and Grant Fox have changed the game. SBW has just raised the bar.

No, it was a genuine question! Not trying to trip anybody up

I agree with those choices (Kiwis- the great innovators). I'm also thinking of a few front rowers who showed that the job goes beyond the set piece. Keith Wood at hooker, but I'm drawing a blank on the props...

A brief example I can think of. I reckon Mike Phillips was well on his way to changing scrum half play. As a big muscular scrumhalf Phillips was successful. Munster and Ireland ditched the small Stringer and found success in the bigger Tomas O'Leary. Then in the 6 Nations we had Italy playing a flanker (Bergamasco) at scrumhalf to try and bring that physicality to the position and emulate Mike Phillips.

Short lived but I think it was another change worth mentioning.

And I've spent the last couple of years on old 606 refering to Phillips as a "poor man's Justin Marshall" Staggy . Joost VDW wasn't small either IIRC.

IMO the biggest game changer at half back was Danie Craven - inventer of the dive pass. George Nepia pioneered the concept of having a fullback join the backline on attack, while Dave Gallacher (spelling may be wrong?) perfected (he didn't invent it) the wing forward position that ultimately evolved into the open-side-flanker. I also wish we knew the name of the South African who came up with the concept of specialis positions in the forwards - before that the 1st 3 forwards to arrive at a scrum formed the front row, etc.

red_stag wrote:A brief example I can think of. I reckon Mike Phillips was well on his way to changing scrum half play. As a big muscular scrumhalf Phillips was successful. Munster and Ireland ditched the small Stringer and found success in the bigger Tomas O'Leary. Then in the 6 Nations we had Italy playing a flanker (Bergamasco) at scrumhalf to try and bring that physicality to the position and emulate Mike Phillips.

Short lived but I think it was another change worth mentioning.

What about old Frank Hancock.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/13406606.stm

red_stag wrote:A brief example I can think of. I reckon Mike Phillips was well on his way to changing scrum half play. As a big muscular scrumhalf Phillips was successful. ........................................

Pssssst.............................ever hear of Terry Holmes? He makes Mike Phillips look like a girl!

http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=6464

Dai Bish!

Ewen McKenzie reckons SBWs greatest strength is also his greatest weakness.

http://www.planetrugby.co.uk/story/0,25883,16024_6949523,00.html

"He's got a good off-loading game but those off-loads don't always come off," McKenzie told AAP.

"There is a bunch of turnovers that come with it.

"Go through the stats. Some games he was effective and others he wasn't."

To bad McKenzie didn't give us the stats to go through.
Anyway of course some don't come off. Is there anyone who does anything at 100%.
He's still an alright player though.

SBW and Fruean will be huge in years to come!

Sonny Bill = very good, getting better, will probably be great but not changing the game.

I think Jona changed the game - in more ways than just the way he played. He brought power to back play like no one before him and he also raise the global profile of the sport that took it into the professional era.

nakedwarrior wrote:SBW and Fruean will be huge in years to come!

Well they are both adults so I doubt they will grow much taller......................and both gym honed and muscular, so I think they will actually get smaller after their playing days

Has anyone seen this!!

Wellington - The professional boxing career of All Blacks and Crusaders star Sonny Bill Williams faces a new credibility test after revelations his next opponent is on welfare for a disability which prevents him from working.

Williams will face 43-year-old Tongan gospel singer Alipate Liava'a in a six-round heavyweight bout in Auckland on Sunday. Liava'a is now being investigated by New Zealand welfare authorities as he claims he can't find a job because he has tennis elbow.

Sunday's bout will be the fourth of Williams's professional career and follows fights with a New Zealand nightclub bouncer and an Australian forklift driver.

Liava'a stands to earn 6 000 New Zealand dollars ($4 900) from the fight and intends to use the money to finance an album of gospel songs.

Link - http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/SBWs-opponent-on-welfare-20110602

Yeah what a joke
Note his benefit has been suspended and was due to end in acouple of weeks anyway but ......

Considering SBW has played only a couple of tests and half a season of S15 he has made fairly rapid progress in the game. Skills such as clearing out in the ruck and the tackle ball area were all foreign to him up until 2-3 years ago. These are not instinctive skills but he seems far more comfortable in this area of the game now. When comparing him with Jonah we should bear in mind that his first season of test rugby ended rather abruptly with him being dropped after 2 tests vs France. Any one remember "the try from the end of the earth"!
SBW will make some waves in the RWC. For sure!