KEY POINTS:
Outspoken All Blacks lock Ali Williams has spoken for the first time about the All Blacks' humbling World Cup campaign, defending Graham Henry's reign and the team's decision not to seek the drop goal that would have given his side victory against France.
What do you think about the pressure on Graham Henry after the World Cup?
Ali Williams: Most people aren't blaming him. It's just individuals looking for another angle. You've got to point blame at someone but you've got to point blame at why we lost. You look at John Mitchell, John Hart - they didn't succeed, they were flicked.
Hart resigned, didn't he?
AW: The difference here is Graham hasn't resigned. I think he still has the drive.
Does Graham Henry push your buttons?
AW: Yep.
In what way?
AW: Well, it's not sexually. He motivates me when I need motivating; he believes in me when I need belief; he directs me at times I need to be directed. It's not just Graham, it's Steve [Hansen] as well.
What do you admire about him?
AW: I admire the fact he listens and he's not closed shop to one style. There's the fact he actually wants you to step out and become a better person, not just a better rugby player. I mean there are millions of great All Blacks but there are not exactly millions of good people in the world, you know. So by becoming a good person, you're helping the world not just the rugby environment.
Do you think it's fair that people are being so harsh on them then?
AW: Generally I think the support has been good really.
What's the difference between Henry and Robbie Deans? Are they similar in their vision and approach?
AW: They probably are, actually.
In what way?
AW: It's hard to say. Every coach has a different style... and you don't just have one coach, you've got three coaches.
Who's the best coach you've ever had?
AW: I wouldn't say there's a best one. Every coach has his strengths and every coach I've respected because they've added something to me: Pat Lam to Wayne Pivac, to John Mitchell, and Graham, who I can't speak highly enough about.
Was John Mitchell a little scary?
AW: He's a good man who had a lot of faith in me. He didn't put me in and put me out - he let me grow. It was pretty amazing really.
Would you be happy if Graham, Steve and Wayne remained as the All Blacks' three coaches?
AW: Yes, they still have a lot to offer New Zealand rugby on and off the field. They're experienced, they've done the World Cup now in an All Blacks environment.
What is it about their techniques you admire?
AW: I like the way they actually get inside the person.
What does that mean?
AW: They find the best remedies to motivate people and get the best out of them. For me, it's the discipline they give you, they let you be the person you are but they [recognise potential for] an incident before it happens.
Did you ever discuss taking a drop goal in the last 10 minutes at Cardiff?
AW: No, I didn't.
What about the team?
AW: Um, I wasn't in the vicinity when the discussion was going on.
But in big games, players drop goals to win. You're at that desperation point...
AW: New Zealand rugby has never taken a drop goal... I think the last time we won a game through a drop goal was 100 years ago.
So was keeping the ball in the forwards in the last 10 minutes an indication you'd lost faith in the game plan?
AW: No.
Why not?
AW: Because we didn't; we believed in our style.
And in hindsight, you wouldn't change that now?
AW: No.
Why not? It didn't work.
AW: Hold on here (getting angry). It did not work. Things just didn't go as well [as planned]. There were super penalty offences there.
But you didn't get a penalty.
AW: No.
Do you regard that as wrong, the fact you didn't get a penalty?
AW: Yeah, we should have.
Were there many tears in the dressing room afterwards?
AW: The odd one, it was pretty emotional. It was four years, four years of building to this and everyone knows you're building to it. For it to be taken away like that, by things you can't control. We don't have any regrets on the style of rugby we played but to not win was tough.
But hey, no-one died.
AW: Exactly. Life's simple - when you're tired you go to sleep; when you're hungry you eat; and if you need to s**t, you go to the toilet.
