Sonny’s surpassed the hype
31 Jul 2012
JON CARDINELLI says Sonny Bill Williams has become a more rounded player and will trouble the Sharks’ depleted midfield in Saturday’s final.
2011 was the year of the Sonny Bill offload. Backyard games would have seen kids imitating that signature move, a back-of-the-hand pass that ensured the attacking team’s momentum didn’t die with the ball carrier. It was a move that brought Williams and the Crusaders tremendous success in their march towards the Super Rugby final. It was also a move that demanded an astronomical number of column inches in the press.
One year on, and Williams’ offload is no less effective. The difference this year is that his offload is sparingly used and rarely highlighted as the definitive strength of his game.
The Sonny Bill Williams of 2012 is a far more rounded player than the centre who debuted for the Crusaders in 2011. And it is the less glamorous and less imitable side of his game that could floor the Sharks in the upcoming final in Hamilton.
Credit must go to Chiefs coach Dave Rennie and the ethos he has installed since arriving at the franchise. Credit should go to the forwards for embracing that ethos and producing some dominant performances that have allowed the Chiefs backline a platform to excel.
And to say Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Aaron Cruden and Williams have excelled as a 9-10-12 combination is an understatement. Cruden has matured as decision maker, and has also played with a physical determination that has belied his size. Kerr-Barlow has been a threat on attack and defence, as has the robust Williams, who doesn’t get enough credit for the way he reads the game or the impact he makes in contact.
Williams was one of the standouts in last Friday’s semi-final battle against the Crusaders. There is always the possibility that he will unleash that trademark offload, but not enough is made of his strength in the tackle and how this compromises the opposition’s defence. He broke the line on just one occasion last Friday, and on the one occasion he unleashed an offload, the Chiefs went on to score.
The hype around the Sonny Bill offload may have died down in 2012, but the rugby fraternity’s obsession with the idea of offloading certainly hasn’t. Indeed, some have pointed to the Sharks’ offloading game as the reason they have surpassed every other South African team in this tournament.
What those people neglect to appreciate, however, is the fact that the Sharks have also dominated the collisions in the matches where their offload count has been high.
It reminds me of a conversation I had with Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer during the three-Test series against England. I asked him about Willem Alberts, who had just come off two strong performances in the first two Tests. It was clear that Alberts was offloading a lot more and thus perpetuating South Africa’s attacking momentum, and so I asked Meyer if it was something Alberts had worked on.
Meyer explained that Alberts was able to offload in those Tests because he had dominated the collisions. He added that players should not become obsessed with the idea of offloading, and that winning the collision should always be the first objective.
In Meyer’s mind, you can’t risk offloading if you aren’t in a strong position, ie well beyond the gainline, to do so.
There were times in 2011 where Williams was guilty of offloading unnecessarily. There were moments when he threw the ball back after he had lost the collision and had been driven backwards in the tackle. Many said the opposition had worked him out, while others accused him of overplaying the tactic.
2012 has witnessed a more powerful and circumspect display. Williams’ performance at the gainline has been a highlight of the Chiefs’ campaign, and his decision making has improved immensely. The Chiefs don’t waste attacking opportunities, and neither does Williams.
Some will call him a glamour boy who is chasing the big payday, or denounce him as an over-hyped player. But on the basis of his performances in the 2012 Super Rugby competition, Williams is already one of the best players in world, and there is as much substance to his game as there is a marketable style.
The odds are against a Sharks victory this weekend. The Chiefs have shown themselves to be an 80-minute team. The forwards will also be fresher than their Sharks counterparts, who recently made their third overseas journey in the space of as many weeks.
The Sharks’ defence will struggle to repel Kerr-Barlow, Cruden and Williams. They’re also down to their third-choice No 12, with Frans Steyn ineligible for selection and Tim Whitehead ruled out with a broken hand.
At the end of the league stage, Steyn showed why he is rated the best inside centre in South Africa. Whitehead has managed to provide a spark that’s been lacking in previous seasons. Those men will certainly be missed.
Meyer Bosman seems likely to fill the void, and while he has the talent and ability to play a Steyn-like game in midfield, he doesn’t have the form or confidence. It is surely something the Chiefs, and particularly that dangerous axis of Cruden and Williams, will look to exploit.
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329 Comments
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31 Jul 2012, 05:48 am
Overrated no pace shoulder charging DRAGON
31 Jul 2012, 05:53 am
What a pity that richard kahui has missed most of this season & a chance to play in the final. The name might not be familiar to some, but there aren’t many players I’ve watched who are more talented than him. I’d pay more money for a ticket to see kahui than a ticket to see SBW
31 Jul 2012, 06:46 am
@Golden Boy-1:
Did a sense this was written while you were crying?
@viewer-2:
I wouldnt pay to watch Kahui play for 25 mins only to collapse in a heap with a broken hip.
Sure he is a good player but he so injury prone, he can be more of a problem to take on tour anywhere than just to leave him at home. But still a very good player
31 Jul 2012, 06:47 am
Really JC? 2011 was the year of the Sonny Bill offload? I have been playing and watching rugby for a while now and as far as I remember the offload has been around for a bit longer than ‘The Hype’. All he brought with him is a media circus, a very bad hairstyle and the shoulder charge which he copied from Butch.
He is the Kiwis very own Juju. Built up by the media to fool the masses in to believing what clearly is a bunch of spin.
31 Jul 2012, 06:56 am
3: Kahului, the snake and nonu are much better players than SBW. He is like David Beckham. Built up by the media to sell an image and nothing else.
31 Jul 2012, 07:11 am
@Golden Boy-4:
The only thing i stir this early in the morning is coffee.
31 Jul 2012, 07:13 am
@Golden Boy-1: @Golden Boy-4: @Golden Boy-5:
You know Farkall. You make me sick actually……….Golden Idiot.
31 Jul 2012, 07:15 am
morning te ranged
i know you will support the chiefs on saturday,but who is normally your team?
31 Jul 2012, 07:17 am
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19-8:
Kia ora Fernly,
The Blues.
31 Jul 2012, 07:25 am
@Te Rangatira-9:
The blues will be back,just like we will win the next RWC.
31 Jul 2012, 07:31 am
another sbw article.
its f u k king boring.
this oke is such a no one or rather an everyman really. he could never be a wilkinson, a larkham, a lomu or a schalk.
never.
but if the kiwis want to hang on his balls thats fine, hope they dont get hurt in his offload.
31 Jul 2012, 07:33 am
@rangerman-11:
morning
I cannot wait for Saturday
I think it is going to be epic and very close.
31 Jul 2012, 07:34 am
i would just like to see him punished as any other player normally would be
for those filthy shoulder charges
heaven knows the world sure got into a twit when butch hit a few guys a little late… with too little arms in it…
31 Jul 2012, 07:38 am
@viewer-2: i got the chance to see both last year, kahui is class just unlucky.
sbw on the other hand is a talented, versatile media magnet & it is clear to see why the so-called union fans are icy towards him.
in most sport the confident t exuberant characters are alwaus frowned upon. the masses want “humble” players & stars or players that pretend to be humble.
in SA it is worse, most prefer the players who thank the herre after the game, funny enough i’m yet to hear francois hougaard thank the herre for a good game…
31 Jul 2012, 07:41 am
@rangerman-11: Disagree One of the most exciting players in the last 2years. He has brought a fresh spririt into the game. I love to watch him play if it is not against my team. Glad to see him go (from SA perspective). Sad to see him go from a rugby perspective
31 Jul 2012, 07:43 am
@Transformation-14: Come on. No need to mock someones convictions. Especially when they are good..
31 Jul 2012, 08:12 am
@Transformation-14:
tranSport…
they only thank the almighty after a game… when they win…
I have yet to hear one of the holy joe’s go praise the lord when they lose…
wouldn’t it be refreshing to hear one of them say…
“first I would like to thank my personal savior who blessed me with all this talent… but chose to back the other team today… because he obviously feels i’m not deserving of his support today… but he is still a great god even though he was not on my side today… the other team must have done more good during the week than i did… i will try harder this week so that my personal savior will be on our side next week…”
31 Jul 2012, 08:19 am
no surprise the white card incident has been conveniently swept under the carpet by the kiwis.
there sure was a lot of punches thrown judging by the replays.
who is the commisioner.
not a whisper of a mention
no honour and no shame these kiwis
reminds me of the bottling incident by a blues supporter against a sharks player
when their interests are on the line
anything and everything will do
31 Jul 2012, 08:22 am
SBW is a very very talented sporting individual, no one can deny that, and yes, he is a much better rounded player than he SBW of 2011, but what actually has he done to merit him having all this media hype? Boxing against guys that can easily be planted to the ground by a Boere laaitjie any where on the platte land does not mean you are a great boxer. Playing centre behind a dominant pack and next to brilliant flyhalf can even make Bosman look great. I just really cant understand the whole SBW show?
31 Jul 2012, 08:23 am
@Transformation-14: I have noticed that the Lord is only thanked when winning. The Lord gets zero credit when losing.
Thank you for outing the stupidestcocktoeverstealanic in the history of blogging. I hadn’t pegged Dusk for an academic, but the scale of moronity he exhibited yesterday was something scientists might want to take a closer look at.
Who steals a name and then forgets to change back to his own name when answering a question?
Dusky, that’s who
31 Jul 2012, 08:26 am
@wait for it, wait for it…-18: my god youre a bitter old fool… seriously, rugby would be a lot better if you didnt support it….
31 Jul 2012, 08:27 am
@wait for it, wait for it…-18:
waaaaaa waaaaaa waaaaaa
Someone give this baby a bottle
31 Jul 2012, 08:29 am
@SA rugby is k@k-21:
Bakkies is not a supporter.
whinger of the highest order.
Thats my first 2 lines to my new song. Its going to consist of alot of crying, gnashing of teeth.
31 Jul 2012, 08:30 am
@optiplay-16: no mockery from my side, just an observation of south african players. they start them young too, william small-smith didn’t thank the herre after the babyboks beat england but the liebenberg boytie slipped in there after we won the final but it was missing when we lost to ireland.
@ufo-17: ek weet.
i see you enjoyed the Dusky show last night.
31 Jul 2012, 08:32 am
@Transformation-24:
hehehe
yeah… it was very entertaining…
31 Jul 2012, 08:32 am
@ufo-17: SNAP!!!
31 Jul 2012, 08:35 am
@Transformation-24: Dusky is the 3rd *whatadoos* to steal my nic. Surely the site can prevent this from happening? There must be something they can do.
31 Jul 2012, 08:37 am
@Hurricane-23: the boy who cries wolf, much like his beloved Bulls when they accused the Saders of eye-gouging…
claims unsubstantiated by proof, yet Bakkies is quite willing to label kiwi players filth and scum and the like… do all SA supporters think this way? Im beginning to believe so..
imagine if we called their players drug cheats, filthy scummy Saffas etc the majority on here would be in uproar..
bakkies tirades are boring, they highlight someone who has lost his grip on reality and are the mad rantings of a senile old fool who sees the shadow of the tokoloshe looming ever larger…
31 Jul 2012, 08:38 am
Prefer to avoid the religious stuff
The average SA rugby supporter is still quite PMS – Pale, Male and Stale (stale being conservative and traditional) (Disclaimer: There is nothing wrong with this and this is not an attack on those)
Sonny Bill is by contrast cutting edge, exhuberant and styling. Rugby for the new global generation. Those whom view rugby as more just another form of entertainment and less cultural symbolism
Had unassuming Meyer Bosman had Sonny Bill’s abilities and limited it to purely rugby, he would be worshipped by the current average local supporter. As it is, this is not the case, so Sonny Bill is scorned
Put somewhat differently, the current average SA rugby supporter prefers their rugby personalities (the personality’s actual opinions aside) more Arnold Geets (baggy chinos, roomy old golfer, simple hairstyle and shave, etc) and less Ryan Vrede (slim fit shirt, flat front pants, flicked hair and groomed, etc).
Francious Hougaard gets honourary exemption cause, as Transie has mentioned before, he has received an endorsement from that local icon Fourie Du Preez
(Further Disclaimer: References to Arnold and Ryan are purely for illustrative purposes)
31 Jul 2012, 08:39 am
@rangerman-11:
You are correct.
SBW will never be as good as those players that are not playing his position.
But dont SA have the best in the world, the player that says he is.
Isnt it Jaque Fourie, the bet ever?? lol
Stuck up fool
31 Jul 2012, 08:46 am
@Hurricane-30: SBWs has only played the game for four years approximately, his learning curve has grown exponentially.. i.e he has progressed in four years to the point that if he had stayed in NZ, he could quite easily have snared the starting position away from nonu…
Ranger girl is still hurting from when SBW tore them a new one in England, and will be just as angry at SBW when he runs through the Sharks midfield often this coming weekend..
31 Jul 2012, 08:52 am
A pops under any name is still a pops…
SBW may be good but does not deserve the worship he is currently getting from mostly NZ commentators and now keo.
31 Jul 2012, 08:53 am
@SA rugby is k@k-21:
@Hurricane-22:
could you at least stay on point and make mention of the white card incident i complain about
oh
thats right
chops…
31 Jul 2012, 08:53 am
@KingRiaan-19: you’re comparing sbw to meyer bosman, really?
in his first year of paying rugby, sbw killed the stormers (newlands – offload to maitland tackled by 2 players for the crockett try), sharks (twickenham – that’s all i have to say) and bulls (27 – 0, that’s all i have to say too)
for a guy who jumoed into union at 25 years old, he is special and the hype, although on overdrive, is justifiable to an extent…
31 Jul 2012, 08:55 am
@Hurricane-23:
consistency
thats all i’m asking for
a rule for one should be the same for another
but thats not the case is it
31 Jul 2012, 08:57 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-20: no sweat, his tricks aren’t new…been there dealt with his kind on this blog…
31 Jul 2012, 08:59 am
Oh and people thinking the Lord is being thanked for winning or losing shows a lack of understanding which puts the rest of their post in perspective.
31 Jul 2012, 09:00 am
@Slartibartfast-32: so youre saying he has made no improvement in his play? that he hasnt started to look more comfortable and hjas a greater understanding of the position he plays? I bow to your superior knowledge..
@wait for it, wait for it…-33: what did the judiciary make of the white card incident? surely if there was a problem they would have punished him? are we to be held personally responsible for their decisions? but you continue with your hate campaign against anything NZ…
31 Jul 2012, 09:01 am
@wait for it, wait for it…-35:
No, consistency means a Bok win or a bulls win.
If that does not happen then the ref cheated or the other players.
AS you have said, Bok or South African teams win means they earned. A kiwi or AB teams wins they cheated. From the mouth of a deluded person
31 Jul 2012, 09:02 am
Waar is al die stompies?
31 Jul 2012, 09:03 am
Ross Tucker says in a news24 article today that he stands by his assessment that the Sharks had about an 8 point disadvantage against the Stormers, given their travel schedule.
Hence, he says the Sharks were actually at least 15 points better than the Stormers, in truth, and you could see the travel starting to kick in in the last quarter, resulting in the Stormers closing the gap slightly.
31 Jul 2012, 09:05 am
@SA rugby is k@k-28: you trip off your sand pedestal when you type s.hit like this “do all SA supporters think this way? Im beginning to believe so..”
have a dig @ i lovebakkies if you want but don’t court kak by generalising, it comes across as attention-seeking.
31 Jul 2012, 09:05 am
@SA rugby is k@k-38:
I remember one time where these guys complained about a kiwi being let off and it was in fact a South African that had the last say, who let him off. Another time when a Kiwi player did wrong and nothing happened, these guys complained and blamed eveyone else about it only to find there own team didnt put the complaint in.
31 Jul 2012, 09:05 am
@Hurricane-39: consistency? from the nation that gave Schalk 8 weeks for eye-gouging? compared to the 6 months Loe got?
the only thing consistent about SA is the quality of their whinging and the proportion of the conspiracy…
31 Jul 2012, 09:06 am
@Tacitus-41: what is he saying about the famed “home advantage” points?
31 Jul 2012, 09:07 am
@Transformation-42:
And that is fair enough too. I would go bananas if i was put in the same boat as Bakkies.
Only time i would jump overboard….stuff the life jacket.
31 Jul 2012, 09:09 am
How can a Super Rugby final be played at a stadium with a capacity of only 25 000 ppl???? shocking! hamilton is a kak place anyway …. its like having a Linkin Park concert in Putsonderwater. Everytime a star player from the Sharks p!sses or kaks in Hamilton, the property price of the “squatter camp look a like” houses goes up by 15% … NZ rugby should nominate a decent stadium & city before super rugby starts, and if a NZ team makes the final, the final has to be played at that stadium/venue – regardless of the team involved!
31 Jul 2012, 09:10 am
Hey guys.
I heard today on talk back radio that there was 3 people killed in SA where the two parents were killed and the 12 year old kid was put in a bath with hot water and drowned.
They said that alot of South Africans have been shocked at this, did you guys here about it?
I know it is off topic and murders happen everywhere but just want to know if you heard anything?
31 Jul 2012, 09:11 am
@Transformation-42: no pedestal here Trans, why dont you gather some of my posts from 3 or 4 years ago to make your point more salient?
I see I reeled one in with that comment, but is it any worse than Bakkies generalisation about all kiwis? he goes on and on but you never call him up for it Trans, why is this the case Mr keo cop? I make one generalisation and youre all over it..
consistency Trans, isnt that the catchcry at the moment
31 Jul 2012, 09:13 am
@grant10-47: because the NZ team finished higher than the SA team..
its been in the rules all year, strange you havent learned this in that time, are you really this slow and stoopid?
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