All Blacks star centre Sonny Bill Williams looks set to miss his side’s Rugby Championship opener against Argentina on Saturday.
Williams has been recovering from a hamstring injury for a number of weeks now and it appears as though it will keep him out of action once more this weekend.
All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster was talking to the media and confirmed that Williams is unlikely to feature but that he is almost ready to go.
“It’s doubtful. He’s training really well. He’s grumpy with me from holding him back a little bit today because he is raring to go. He’s feeling really good but we’ve got to make sure we’ve got full strength back into that leg,” he said.
The 33-year-old has travelled with the rest of the squad to Argentina and Foster admitted that a final decision on his availability will be made on Thursday before the team is announced.
The 51-cap All Black has struggled for game-time this season having undergone knee surgery in March and then sustaining this hamstring injury.
He will be desperate to prove his fitness soon and get back on the pitch before head coach Steve Hansen picks his World Cup squad as he will want to have a chance to add to his 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cup wins.
If he can prove his fitness, he will more than likely be on the plane to Japan for the tournament not only due to his incredible ability but also the experience he brings to a relatively young All Blacks squad.
