Rugby: Sonny with a chance of reign

Sonny Bill Williams (L)sits with Tana Umaga of Counties Manukau. Photo / Getty Images

Canterbury 39 Counties Manukau 21

For a city that's had its fill of seismic activity, the people of Christchurch showed an admirable appetite for some more yesterday.

Let's face it, the 17,000 at AMI Stadium were there for one thing - to see Sonny Bill Williams and Tana Umaga get stuck into each other.

Pick any analogy - master versus apprentice; Obi-Wan against Darth Vader - it doesn't really get to the nub of what this clash was really about; two big men trying to see who was king of the offload.

Umaga was seriously disadvantaged by having to play on 37-year-old legs and behind a pack that was competitive at the breakdown, but struggling to hold up at the scrum.

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The old man's still got it, though. With his first touch he headed straight for Williams, stuck a hand in his face and just about bowled him over.

Every ruck, there would be Umaga hauling and shoving and miraculously producing possession while he threw one pass in the first half that was vintage - it was nearly as good as the one he threw on the same ground five years ago to set-up Sitiveni Sivivatu for a memorable try against the British Lions.

What the former All Black captain couldn't do was the impossible and bury Williams when the big man had momentum following a lineout late in the first half. If Umaga couldn't do it, then it is unlikely anyone in world rugby is going to be able to stop Williams when he runs straight and hard from five metres out.

Williams made it look easy, but not only did he have to run over the top of the best defensive centre of the last decade, he had to work out that his best option was to straighten and go.

There is most certainly an astute rugby brain positioned between Williams' ears, further displayed when he realised early in the contest that with so much attention on his personal duel, Robbie Fruean was potentially going to have the space he needed to steal the show.

Steal it he did. Fruean scored the opening try when he came back against the grain on the cut and blasted over from 20 metres. This man has pace and he's extraordinarily powerful.

Williams did the smart thing and kept looking to play his partner into the holes and Fruean thanked him with some storming busts. There was further maturity from Williams when he dinked a neat kick behind the Counties line that would have yielded a try for Sam Monaghan, rather than a penalty try had Sherwin Stowers not illegally tapped it out.

Maybe it was the presence of Umaga and the desire to impress his mentor, or maybe it was because he's starting to really find his feet and settle into the pace and style of New Zealand rugby, whatever the driver, this was easily the most balanced and mature performance of William's career in New Zealand so far.

"When I first came here, I think people thought I was just going to try smash blokes," said Williams. The biggest thing I'm trying to overcome is getting out of the mindset of trying to smash blokes."

Still, it wasn't enough to make Williams over-confident about today's All Black squad announcement.

"It's always in your mind - your big goals, of becoming an All Black. But it is out of my hands. I am just trying to do my best for Canterbury. If I concentrate on the little goals it will come," he said.

As for Fruean, he admitted it will be a hard slog today and that he plans to keep away from TV and radio, but will keep his phone handy just in case.

"My heart has had enough stress," he joked, "it doesn't need any more."

Some of the stress was also removed for when two late intercept tries gave them the scores they deserved. They brought plenty to the contest - moving the ball with enterprise and some innovation but they couldn't nail their opportunities when they came.

They created enough to score 21 points and for all their effort, flair and determination it was fitting they had some kind of respectability by the end of the game.

Canterbury 39 (R. Fruean, S. Williams, S. Maitland, Penalty, O. Franks tries; S. Brett 2 cons, 2 pens); Counties 21 (S. Nabou, S. Stowers, A. Tuala tries; D. Cummins 2 cons)