Tamaiti Williams has been revealed as the second All Blacks casualty of the young season, succumbing to a meniscus injury suffered in the Super Rugby Pacific playoffs.
The Crusaders’ man mountain joins 2024 breakthrough star Wallace Sititi in the injury ward, both requiring surgery and set for sideline spells that exceed the upcoming France series.
For Williams, doubt was cast over his availability for the Super Rugby Pacific final after sustaining the knee injury in the qualifying final against the Reds, and then sitting out the semi-final against the Blues.
The 24-year-old was seen on crutches as he shook the Reds’ hands after the qualifier, and the team has since revealed, in a statement made to Kiwi outlet Stuff, that official medical advice stated Williams could proceed with on-field activities, provided he managed the injury “conservatively”.
Having attended and completed training during the week of the final, Williams was cleared to play. Following the final, he was in pain.
“Everyone saw it in the quarter final, he hurt his knee,” All Blacks coach Scott Robertson told media in Auckland, shortly after Williams was scrubbed from the July series.
“The surgeons had a good look at it after the scans, and the best thing is to have surgery for him.”
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The surgery and recovery are expected to take six to eight weeks. The Rugby Championship is now six weeks away, starting on August 16 with New Zealand in Argentina, and Australia in South Africa.
Williams has a chance to return to full fitness for the first game, but will certainly be targeting a return in time for September 6’s blockbuster against the Springboks at Eden Park.
There was always going to be a risk of aggravating the injury by playing the final, but Robertson dismissed any notion of frustration around the injury management by simply saying: “Well, he played, and we’re here right now. So they’re the facts.”
The coach revealed Williams had cartilage damage and “couldn’t quite straighten” his leg, adding it was an “immense effort” to get through as many minutes as he did in the final.
“I’ve always trusted the medical groups and my advice that I’ve got,” Robertson said. “Players want to play, don’t they? And they want to compete, and that’s the scenario at the moment.
“We made the call on Friday, and obviously, the quality of Tamaiti, he’s probably the best loosehead in the world. So it is a big hit.”
Taking perhaps New Zealand’s form prop out of the squad will test the country’s depth, depth that Robertson says they have in abundance. Ethan de Groot and rookie Ollie Norris are first in line for more minutes now that Williams is sidelined, and Crusaders teammate George Bower has joined the squad as a replacement.
“The good thing is we’ve got depth, and people have always stood up coming into this environment.
“Grooter’s experienced, Ollie Norris is a big Test footballer; this is why we picked him, to find out about him. And George comes in with a bit of experience as well. So we’re in good stead.”
Speaking of Bower in particular, Robertson, who recruited the prop at the Crusaders in 2019, was excited for what the 33-year-old brings both on and off the field.
“He’s experienced, isn’t he? He’s in good form as well. It was a tough call not to put him in the initial squad, so we’re pleased that he’s come in. He brings a lot of energy, he’s got a great singing voice too.”
