Andrew Gourdie: What to do with SBW?

Sonny Bill Williams
Sonny Bill Williams has only made two appearances since rupturing his achilles in Rio last year (Photosport file)

OPINION: It's a question that simply has to be running around Steve Hansen's head as he prepares to name his squad to face the Lions - even more so now that Warren Gatland's revealed his hand. 

Hansen must be dying to blow the Lions off the park, and the rugby world, including Gatland, knows Sonny Bill Williams is one player who can do just that. Hansen's suggestion that Gatland's "clutching at straws" over the mental scars inflicted by Ireland in Chicago last year, and another snipe about Dylan Hartley's non-selection, would indicate he won't mind sending Gatland's Lions home with their tails between their legs.

Gatland clearly sees Ben Te'o as his answer to Sonny Bill, and when discussing Te'o's selection he even appeared to be trying to do Hansen's job for him when he said he needed to "match the All Blacks impact off the bench". I see what you did there Warren. 

The thing is, the more you think about it, he's probably right. 

Ben Te'o
Ben Te'o brings Sonny Bill Williams' qualities such as hard running, being able to draw the man and offload (Getty image)
Andrew Gourdie: What to do with SBW?

I was asked for my snap opinion late last week on which midfield combo would start against the Lions and I opted for Williams and Anton Leinert-Brown. Hansen clearly trusts Sonny Bill.

If he was happy to give Williams a free pass straight back into the Rugby Championship squad last year on a diet of Sevens rugby before he picked up an Achilles injury in Rio, he won't be giving a second thought to getting him in the mix against the Lions.

He's a game breaker, part of the leadership group, and an important person on and off the field for the All Blacks. The big stage, the big man: these are the moments NZ Rugby signed SBW for. He's got to be there. 

But the reality is that in the big moments before - the latter stages of the 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cups - Sonny Bill made his impact from the bench, and it would be a surprise to see anything different next month.

A lot happened during his ill-fated year playing Sevens - mainly Ryan Crotty. The unassuming Crusader has made the number 12 jersey his own. Barring three matches against Australia, Italy and Ireland that he missed through injury, Crotty started every All Blacks test in 2016 in the number 12 jersey.

Ryan Crotty
Ryan Crotty made hay while the sun shone in 2016 (Getty image)

He was the consistent presence in midfield while a rotating cast of Malakai Fekitoa, Anton Lienert-Brown and George Moala all auditioned for the starting role at centre. By the end of the year it was clear that the Crotty/Lienert-Brown combination was the first choice midfield pair.

Now whether that would have been the case if Williams was available is unclear, but what's certain is that Hansen's own selections in the last year indicate Crotty is his number one number 12. 

Going on recent history, it would be a surprise for Hansen to start Williams ahead of Ryan Crotty against the Lions. You only have to look back to the series against Wales when the rest of the country was screaming out for Beauden Barrett to start ahead of Aaron Cruden, yet Hansen's loyalty saw him stick with Cruden at 10 for the first two games of the series.

As we know, an injury to Cruden opened the door for Barrett, which he sprinted through and slammed shut. It's difficult to see Hansen taking a different approach to Williams when he's hardly displaying irresistible form for the Blues that demands selection.

Sonny Bill Williams
Sonny Bill Williams was immense off the bench for the All Blacks in the 2015 Rugby World Cup Final (Photosport image)

All the while, Crotty's started all but one match for the Crusaders in an unbeaten start to the season, and has continued to show all the qualities that last year saw him become such an important part of Hansen’s plan. 

Similar to Barrett’s situation against Wales last year, Williams' versatility could thwart his attempts to break into the starting XV. His ability to cover midfield as well as wing gives him an ironic edge over other midfield candidates.

 The All Blacks bench has set them apart from the rest of the rugby world in recent years, and it’s from there that Sonny Bill Williams could be best utilised against the Lions.