Good to hear the pair were in touch and that such an unfortunate incident ended amicably.
Minutes after his Test Series against the British & Irish Lions had been ended [with a four week suspension], Sonny Bill Williams read out a short statement. It had been less than 24 hours since he had been red-carded for a shoulder block hit on Lions winger Anthony Watson.
Watson was helped to his feet and brought off for a Head Injury Assessment. By the time the England international was carrying out cognitive and balance tests, Williams was back in the All Blacks dressing room.
He could do nothing more to help his teammates out on the pitch. When the final whistle went, Williams bowed his head for a few moments before going to applaud his beaten colleagues off the pitch. The Following day, he commented:
Credit: Canal+“The [judiciary panel have] come to the conclusion that it was reckless, it wasn’t intentional. I’ve got in contact with Anthony, and I’ve apologised to him.”
He added, “[I’m] very disappointed that I was sent from the field last night and let my brothers down.”
Williams is out of the deciding Test at Eden Park this weekend but Watson is good to go and will play in the red No.14 jersey again.
The Bath winger told reporters that Williams had reached out to him with a Direct Message on Twitter. Judging by Watson’s comments, there is no bad blood with the Kiwi centre. Watson revealed:
“He messaged me on Twitter to say there was no intention and I don’t doubt that. I don’t think he’s a malicious player so I don’t think he intentionally led with his shoulder to hurt me or anything like that. It’s just unfortunate, I guess.”
As for the incident itself, Ronan O’Gara believes Williams was very unfortunate to be sent off and unluckier still to be banned for four weeks.
The former Ireland and Lions outhalf told The Hard Yards rugby podcast:
“I think it was a clumsy challenge but everything looks so much worse when you can pause it [the footage] and slow it down, but sport isn’t played in slow motion. These are all spontaneous decisions and moments.
“I don’t see where Williams comes in with a swinging arm. I just feel there was a dip out of Watson and I don’y think Sonny Bill had anywhere to go… At first, my gut reaction when I saw it was, ‘He’s in trouble here. Penalty. Yellow card’.
“Then I felt that the red card was severe but that’s the rule nowadays. Anything around the head is red.”
Williams will be happy to hear there is some support for him out there but it will mean little come Saturday when the Test is in the melting pot and he is stuck in the stands.
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