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The day Sonny Bill Williams lost respect for All Blacks teammate
By Josh Raisey
Playing in two World Cup-winning All Blacks sides would teach a player a lot about who his teammates are, but Sonny Bill Williams learned the greatest lesson about one of his teammates away from the pitch or training paddock.
The 58-cap All Black was taught a "truth of life" from an unnamed teammate during his time with the national team, who failed to "stand up when it really mattered".
The incident occurred after then-All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen had set a curfew for the team ahead of a big match.
The former rugby league and union superstar opened up in an interview about what happened after the curfew was set, and how it resulted in his teammate's words being "hollow" to him from then on.
"I was playing for the All Blacks and after a big win our coach Shags [Hansen] set a curfew because of the big game the next week," Williams said.
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"Despite that, some of us went out to celebrate a teammate's milestone. We got back a little late, breaking the curfew.
"The next morning, as we headed to the bus, a meeting was called and we were all sent to the team room. Shags wasn't happy. It was tough seeing the disappointment in the coach, but more so in our teammates who we let down's faces.
"He told everyone who broke the curfew to stand up. You know what? In moments like these, you really discover who has your back. I'll never forget the teammate that didn't stand. He was sitting next to me and he chose to stay seated.
"You know in the future, we would play together a lot, we'd go into battle. But whenever he gave those motivational talks before the game, I'll be honest, those words meant nothing to me. They were hollow. Because he didn't stand up when it really mattered.
"Real strength isn't just about how much muscle you have or what you can do in the weights room. It's about standing up for what's right even if that means standing alone.
"This lesson isn't just about the rugby field, but rather it's a truth of life."
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Surely there is scope for a blended, hybrid role now. Remote working/coaching. It's an easier idea post-Lockdown and international rugby isn't usually more than a dozen games per calender year.
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