Rugby: SBW's crusade is nearly over

The clock is ticking down on Sonny Bill Williams' career at the Chiefs but he still has some unfinished business he's hoping to get sorted this week.

Whether it's 80 minutes or 160 minutes of rugby, we won't know until the ref calls time on Friday night's Super Rugby semifinal match between the Chiefs and the Crusaders at Waikato Stadium.

But whether rugby's highest paid superstar finishes this week or next, he says he still has a job to do.

You only have to look at his face when you mention the last time he played the Crusaders and that infamous last few seconds of the match. With time up on the clock and the Chiefs down by 28-21 and camped on the Crusaders line. Williams gets the ball and instead of passing to men open on the outside, he opts to step inside. He's brought down short of the line and the rest is history.

When that moment is brought up, the normally casual and laid back midfielder suddenly gets a stern look on his face - the same look he had before knocking-out Clarence Tillman for the New Zealand boxing heavyweight championship title.

"All I'm doing is ticking all the boxes and making sure I do my job well. A couple of weeks ago I played against the Crusaders, I played pretty well I thought - except right at the end there when I didn't pass the ball.

"I must admit it's been eating me up since then. For me this weekend, I need to concentrate on my job and I want to do that job really well and I know if I do that it will help the boys."

Williams said the focus for the team was to ensure they were not playing catch-up rugby on Friday. "You don't want to let a side like the Crusaders get a roll-on, but in saying that I back the boys, we've got enough talent in the team to come back. But we don't want to put ourselves in that position," Williams said.

"It's a tough game and the Crusaders are on a roll and they're playing really well. But I believe if we play to our potential, we can match them and beat them."

The 1.91m tall and 108kg mid-fielder said there has been no lack of motivation to finish the season on a high before departing to take up a lucrative contract in Japan.

"If you can't get excited about a week like this, then you are in the wrong sport. All that hard work we've put in during the year. It's crunch time now and Friday night is the big one."

It's no secret the 26-year-old has enjoyed his time in the Waikato.

"It's everything I expected plus more. I didn't expect the team to gel as well as we have and I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I have as well," Williams said. "It's pretty disappointing that it's all going to come to an end, hopefully in another couple of weeks.

"But in saying that I'm just trying to put it in a positive spin and make the most of it and enjoy my time, I have left with the boys."

So when the curtain does come down will it be an emotional moment for the man who has played 17 tests for the All Blacks?

"I don't really get too emotional.

"I haven't really thought too far ahead, I'll just concentrate on this game and make this year special. But Liam [Messam] will definitely cry."

The semifinal kicks off at 7.35pm.