Tamaiti Williams offers heartfelt perspective on departure of TJ Perenara

Two All Blacks icons will bid their respective careers in the black jersey farewell this weekend, with loose forward Sam Cane and halfback TJ Perenara each taking their talents to the land of the rising sun from 2025 onwards.

The pair boast nearly 200 Test caps between them, and were both a part of New Zealand's victorious 2015 Rugby World Cup campaign as 23-year-olds. Beauden Barrett will remain as the last member of the team with a World Cup win to his name.

Their experience and leadership have rubbed off on the new generation coming through the ranks, including 24-year-old prop Tamaiti Williams.

Williams, a man of few words, is one the young guns in Scott Robertsons's All Blacks squad who has staked his claim in the starting XV in 2024, and as a proud Maori with Ngapuhi lineage, has formed a special admiration for his veteran teammates.

"I'll be pretty emotional when they leave. What TJ's done for Maori people in New Zealand and the way he helps others is inspiring to me. Sammy Cane's the same, he was our captain last year and I can only think of one way to send them out: with a dominant performance," the 140kg prop told media from Turin, Italy, as fellow youngster Wallace Sititi sat beside him nodding in agreement.

"I'm sure they're probably going to hold their emotions until the end of the week. They're walking around smiling today, I think they're just soaking it in. Hopefully, we can do a job for them."

It's yet to be revealed whether or not the pair will suit up for the upcoming Italy Test. Questions remain over Cane's fitness after suffering a gnarly flesh wound on his forehead against Ireland, while Perenara is yet to see minutes in the Autumn Nations Series as youngsters Cam Roigard and Cortez Ratima are favoured in the matchday 23.

The team is building a new identity and the changing of the guard continues after a 2023 exodus which saw household names like Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Dane Coles and Aaron Smith hang up their international boots.

But with new a coaching cohort at the helm, Williams suggests there's a real growth mindset in the environment. The prop was emphatic when asked if the side are tracking well after some disappointing results in 2024, saying "of course" they are.

"I'll back my boys and the coaching staff any day of the week. I guess for us, in my second year and (Wallace Sititi's) first year, what we've learned alone as players is pretty cool bro.

"There has been a lot of change, but everyone in here has embraced it. There's no excuses and when you wake up in the morning and you can't wait to go to work, your team's in a good place."

While Sititi wasn't asked the same question about the departing duo, he did speak on Cane's influence within the All Blacks group and on himself personally when it became apparent the former captain would be sidelined for last week's France Test.

“He’s a big loss for us this weekend, he holds a lot of respect in our team. He’s a strong figure in our team and our country, so to not have him out there is a big loss for us in terms of leadership as well as experience,” Sititi told media in Paris.

“It’s just something that we’re going to have to deal with and we’ll do our best to do him justice in his absence.”

He went on to elaborate on Cane's leadership in the Chiefs environment, where the two first connected.

“When I went in for my first preseason with the Chiefs, he’s someone that’s calm-headed, loves to chat as well so it was really easy getting along with him. He’s just somebody you gravitate towards, someone you would follow into war and somebody you would die for.

“he’s just a good person first and foremost and his leadership is top-notch.”