{"id":373858,"date":"2026-01-16T19:38:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T19:38:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/373858\/"},"modified":"2026-01-16T19:38:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T19:38:07","slug":"if-there-was-to-be-a-rwc-tomorrow-id-still-back-our-boys-to-win-it-sonny-bill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/373858\/","title":{"rendered":"‘If there was to be a RWC tomorrow, I’d still back our boys to win it’: Sonny Bill"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sonny Bill Williams believes the All Blacks<\/a> are still in a great position to win the Webb Ellis Cup back from South Africa, despite parting company with Scott Robertson<\/a> 20 months out from the next Rugby World Cup<\/a> in Australia.<\/p>\n

The 58-cap former centre, who was a member of the triumphant 2011 and 2015 All Blacks teams, took to Instagram to give his \u2018two cents\u2019 on what New Zealand<\/a> rugby needs to do from here to get back on track.<\/p>\n

Williams offered up several names as potential head coach successors to Scott Robertson<\/a>, who lost the dressing room and then his job, despite having nearly two years of his NZRU contract as head coach left to run.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy two cents? Exactly the same as when I left the game and I came out and I said, we need some more flavour within the coaching group, NZRU board members. I know that rubbed up a few people and I know that will rub up a few people right now, but that is my honest opinion,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy? Because I am a big believer in, in order to correct, you must first connect. These players at this level knoow how to play rugby, they know how to kick the ball, they knock how to tackle, they know how to pass. But what got the best out of me, and a lot of the players I know, was believing in the system, believing in the coaches, wanting to go out there and go to hospital, almost, run through a brick wall, so that\u2019s what we need.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe other thing that is happening right now is that other teams have just gotten better, and that\u2019s just how it is. But tomorrow, if there was to be a Rugby World Cup, I\u2019d still back our boys to win it; we just need to get this part right.<\/p>\n

\u201cOptions moving forward \u2013 there\u2019s many, man. There\u2019s so many out there \u2013 Jamie Jospeh, Dave Rennie, we\u2019ve got Tony Brown<\/a> overseas, bring that brother back, we\u2019ve got Tana Umaga,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike you guys, I don\u2019t have all the answers but this is just my honest thoughts and opinions. But I think we need a coaching group that knows how to connect before correcting because these players know how to play and we have the squad.\u201d<\/p>\n

As well as a new head coach, 45-year-old Williams believes the All Blacks\u2019 outstanding player, Ardie Savea<\/a>, should get the captain\u2019s armband from Scott Barrett.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love Scott Barrett<\/a>, he\u2019s one of the best players in the world. But I just think we need to give Ardie the captaincy, he\u2019s our guy moving forward, just because of the amount he brings; he\u2019s got the runs on the board. Look at what he\u2019s done to Moane this year.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sonny Bill Williams believes the All Blacks are still in a great position to win the Webb Ellis…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":373859,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[5903,101,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-373858","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-rugby","8":"tag-rugby","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/373858","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=373858"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/373858\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/373859"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=373858"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=373858"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=373858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}