Sonny Bill Williams in Canterbury starting lineup

Sonny Bill Williams

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PETER MEECHAM/Stuff.co.nz Zoom

BRAVING SCOTLAND: All Blacks Hosea Gear and Sonny-Bill Williams walk through the streets of Edinburgh after a recovery session ahead of the test against Scotland.

Sonny Bill v Gary Gurr

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Sonny Bill Williams fights Gary Gurr.

Sonny Bill Williams plays club rugby

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Sonny Bill Williams while playing against Lincoln for his club Belfast.

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HYPE: The public is expected to go gaga over Sonny Bill Williams on Friday.

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Provincial

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Sonny Bill Williams will make his first start for Canterbury in their national provincial championship rugby match against Northland in Whangarei on Saturday.

Williams has been named at second five-eighth and will get a chance to build on his impressive debut off the bench in the win against Bay of Plenty last Friday, when he was a first half substitute for Ryan Crotty.

The sprained left foot Crotty sustained in that match ruled him out of contention this week.

Williams is one of six changes to Canterbury's starting lineup.

Hooker Steve Fualau, prop Peter Borlase and lock Luke Romano replace Corey Flynn, Owen Franks and Sam Whitelock, who are in Sydney with the All Blacks ahead of their Tri-Nations match against Australia on Saturday.

No 8 Ash Parker replaces for Nasi Manu, who injured an ankle against Bay of Plenty, and Patrick Osborne starts on the right wing in place of Tu Umaga-Marshall, who injured a shoulder in the same match.

The team have been visiting refuge centres and helping with the clean-up following the earthquake in the region last weekend and assistant coach Tabai Matson said it was important they now turned their focus to the Northland match.

CANTERBURY: Sean Maitland, Patrick Osborne, Robbie Fruean, Sonny Bill Williams, Telusa Veainu, Stephen Brett, Andy Ellis, Ash Parker, George Whitelock (captain), Matt Todd, Issac Ross, Luke Romano, Peter Borlase, Steve Fualau, Wyatt Crockett. Reserves: Marcel Cummings-Toon, Andrew Olorenshaw, Rob Verbakel, Brendon O'Connor, Willi Heinz, Sam Monaghan, Robbie Flynn.

- NZPA