All Blacks wait on Williams
New Zealand will leave it until the last minute to decide on the fitness of lock Ali Williams ahead of the World Cup.
Williams has been battling a stress fracture in his right foot for several weeks and is hobbling around with his lower leg in a protective boot. But All Black management could wait until the day of their departure before deciding if he is able to take part in the campaign.
Communications manager Matt McIlraith confirmed no decision had been made and coach John Mitchell was prepared to wait until just before the team flew out of Auckland on Wednesday evening to decide.
“It has to be made before we leave, basically, but there will be no decision yet,” McIlraith told the Press Association.
“We’re giving him every chance to recover but it could be that there is no real information available until we actually get to Australia – that’s how late we’re leaving it.”
The injury is a non-displaced fracture of the right navicular bone – on the inside of the top of the foot – and is a relatively rare problem for rugby players.
Williams has played only 10 Tests for the All Blacks, including two against England, but has already cemented his place in Mitchell’s first-choice locking partnership alongside Chris Jack.
He earned some infamy in England when he was cited for stamping on the head of England full-back Josh Lewsey during the Test in Wellington on June 14, although he was cleared of the offence.
Mitchell has gambled on the effectiveness of just one other specialist lock, Brad Thorn, to back up Williams and Jack in the original squad, with captain and regular blindside flanker Reuben Thorne available as an emergency fourth lock.
The vastly experienced Norm Maxwell, left out after two seasons beset by injury, is the favourite to replace Williams if the foot injury proves insurmountable.
Maxwell, 27, has 34 Test caps and has been in commanding form for Canterbury in this season’s National Provincial Championship after overcoming his injury problems too late to convince Mitchell of his value for the World Cup.
His chief rival is North Harbour’s Troy Flavell, who has 15 Tests to his name but has yet to fully overcome discipline problems.
The other injury concern for the All Blacks was utility back Aaron Mauger, who sat out the squad’s final public training session on September 29 because of a groin strain.
“Aaron’s fine, he had a slight problem and missed the public session but he has been fully involved since then,” said McIlraith.
The All Blacks fly to Melbourne on October 8 and their first Pool D fixture is against Italy on October 11. Also in Pool D are Canada, Wales and Tonga.
