Sonny Bill Williams: code juggler and ball master

Herald online

8 Oct, 2015 06:59 PMQuick Read

The All Blacks hosted a big crowd of spectators at their training facility - a large club stadium on the outskirts of Darlington, with Read saying he had been impressed with the level of support the team had received. "We've had a great week down in Darlington. The support we've had from the locals ... we had close to 5000 people turn up to see us train and do a few skills and things. We certainly know we're making an impact on the communities over here which is what we want to do."

He's switched codes multiple times, but Sonny Bill Williams' latest antics suggest he missed his true calling: the circus.

Williams tried to hold as many balls as possible during an open fan day ahead of their match with Tonga.

The All Blacks drew their biggest non-match crowd with the event, entertaining a crowd of 5000 spectators at their training facility - a large club stadium on the outskirts of Darlington.

Players did training drills with youngsters, signed autographs and mixed with the crowd.

Kieran Read, who will captain the All Blacks against Tonga in nearby Newcastle tomorrow morning in the absence of an injured Richie McCaw, said the squad had been impressed with the high level of support they had received from the local Darlington community.

"We've had a great week down in Darlington," Read said. "The support we've had from the locals ... we had close to 5000 people turn up to see us train and do a few skills and things. We certainly know we're making an impact on the communities over here which is what we want to do."