Sonny Bill gains impetus

Now the Sonny Bill Williams machine is really starting to hum.

Injury frustrations and unscheduled ski trips should be a distant memory for the high-profile midfielder if, as is likely, he will be named to start at second five-eighth for Canterbury's ITM match against Northland in Whangarei on Saturday.

With Ryan Crotty left lame by a recurrence of his foot injury in last Friday night's 28-9 win over Bay of Plenty, former rugby league star Williams should discover the garment with the No12 on the back fits quite nicely after the team is named on Thursday.

Having played 60 minutes as a substitute against Bay, there was little indication Williams was hampered by the hamstring and knee injuries at training yesterday and Crotty's misfortune indicates he will earn his first New Zealand first-class run-on appearance against the Taniwha.

Although Crotty was hopeful the medical staff would be able to work some magic on his injured foot yesterday – he was limited to gym duties and walked with a pronounced limp – backs coach Tabai Matson hinted he could be out for several weeks and noted Robbie Flynn would be brought in from the metro team as cover.

Matson also liked what he saw of Williams against the Bay – a match Williams will be hoping is the start of a run that culminates in him being selected in the All Blacks squad next month. "The things that he said he was going to do – he focused on for his game and he did them," Matson said. "He will be really happy with his first run in the `A' side.

"Like all our players, they have really high expectations and playing really settles those nerves and those anxieties. He just needs to string some starts together and get a lot of football under his belt – for a number of reasons."

Centre Robbie Fruean is also battling injury, having rolled an ankle against the Bay, but Matson was confident he would be able to train with the squad on Thursday.

Matson and head coach Rob Penney will have to take a heavy hammer to their starting sheet this week, with wing Tu Umaga-Marshall to be replaced after dislocating his shoulder against the Bay and No8 Nasi Manu hobbling around in a moon boot yesterday.

While Manu's ankle injury is not deemed overly dramatic, he is in doubt. But Umaga-Marshall's future is somewhat bleaker: "He is going to see a specialist and on the back of that we will have a better idea of where we are at," Matson added.

On the plus side, halfback Willi Heinz returns after breaking his hand.

All Blacks hooker Corey Flynn, tighthead prop Owen Franks and lock Sam Whitelock, all in Australia preparing for the test against the Wallabies, will also have to be replaced in a side that may feature up to seven changes.

- © Fairfax NZ News