League: Sonny Bill Williams the one-man legend

1.00pm

If Sonny Bill Williams stopped to read all his press clippings, he could be forgiven for thinking he was the ghost of all Kiwi greats merged into one.

But the time for restraint is over - it is time to start examining the possibility that he actually is supernatural.

In North Harbour's late-afternoon gloom SBW wrote another chapter into a rapidly growing legend. The kid is not of this world and was undoubtedly the one player who stood between the Kiwis playing out just their second-ever draw with their trans-tasman rivals and a convincing loss.

The fact that he did it injured was all the more outstanding.

He started with two bone-shattering tackles - the second of which came closer to shattering his own than the opposition. From then on he could be found frequently grimacing in the backs after pulling off a tackle or taking the ball to the line, but it never stopped him coming back for more.

In the second half he threatened to bust the Kangaroos open every time he touched the ball and it would have been a gross injustice if his fumble with less than two minutes left had allowed Australia to snatch an undeserved win.

Craig Gower missed his second attempt at a field goal though and the points, and honours, were shared.

Williams said after the match: "I went in at halftime and Daniel Anderson said that I was trying to play it too tough rather than do what I do best, which is playing smart."

The draw sets up a mouth-watering clash when the two teams next meet in London in the second of their Tri-Nations tests later this month.

The Kiwis will not have the luxury of fielding the same team then, however.

Tony Puletua and Matt Utai were among the Kiwis' best yesterday but their respective clubs - Penrith and Canterbury - require them to have surgery.

If this is how Puletua plays on an ankle requiring "emergency" surgery, then heaven help those standing in front of him when he's fully fit.

Yesterday Puletua was a man on a mission and so was new Muslim recruit Utai. His mission was different though, he needed to prove he not only had the skills for test match league - not that it should have been in doubt following his brilliant grand final performance - but that he had the necessary desire to bleed for the Kiwis.

Judging by the euphoric looks on the faces of the Kiwis fans as they left their seats you could have been forgiven for thinking victory was theirs. It wasn't.

A draw is only half as good as a win, but when you find yourself all but dead-and-buried against a slick-looking Australian outfit, it feels twice as good as a loss.

For long periods the Kiwis looked outclassed as Darren Lockyer, Craig Gower and Danny Buderus provided what the Kiwis couldn't: effective distribution to get their outsides moving forward.

No doubt Daniel Anderson had the normally reliable defender Vinnie Anderson out on the right-hand side of defence as protection for the not-so-reliable pair of Nigel Vagana and Francis Meli.

But after Anderson had opened the scoring, following some nice lead up work from Thomas Leuluai, it was a case of best-laid plans and all that.

First he slipped off an easy tackle that allowed Penrith wing Luke Rooney and then Lockyer, sensing a kill, went for the jugular.

It was simple, it was predictable and it was devastating.

Run a few plays down the right, then switch it quickly to the left where Anderson, Vagana and Meli were left groping in the gloamin'.

Two more tries were addedthis way and, at 16-6, it was beginning to look all the world like a blow-out.

A strange beast is sport though. The Kiwis tightened up; the Kangaroos forgot that the path of least resistance can often be found straight from dummy half.

Twice, through Louis Anderson and much-maligned Meli, the Kiwis took the shortest route to the try line and with 25 minutes left there was a test match to be played.

Scorers: New Zealand (V Anderson L Anderson F Meli tries, B Webb 2 gls), Australia (L Rooney 2 A Minichiello tries, D Lockyer 2 gls). Ht: 12-16.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY