Somewhere along his rugby journey after one of his lapses, Ali Williams remarked that he lacked situational awareness. It was an expression to camouflage his poor judgment.
It was hard not to talk about Ali Williams' rugby ability and the chapters of excellence in his 77 tests without detouring into one of his annoying indiscretions.
His prime performances came in the 2005 series with the Lions when he dominated the tight sections of the field to help the All Blacks to a comprehensive series triumph.
He was a lineout champion with a strong tactical grasp whose game had all the venom needed for battles at the pinnacle of the sport.
Williams' story had layers of intrigue mixed with a bold attitude sparked after an accident left his father in a wheelchair. Not long after Williams switched from soccer to rugby and five years later made his All Black test debut against England.