Canterbury were upset 31-20 by Taranaki in the ITM Cup on the weekend as the hosts scored five tries to two in a gritty performance of which they were deserving winners. Some fantastic tries were scored in the game, with this probably the pick of them.
It was Taranakis 14th win over Canterbury in 57 meetings, and while the visitors should have stayed in control while up 20-19, they coughed up a few needless tries and let things slip.
Ben Souness and Kurt Baker both crossed for neatly taken tries, while Sonny Bill Williams, as good as he was with ball in hand, failed to control two loose balls which allowed Taranaki to pounce.
While his game is still far from perfect, its clearly visible that each week he plays, Williams is looking more likely to be a contender for an end of year tour slot with the All Blacks.
“I think he’s shown that he’s a good athlete. He’s got some real good skills in some areas of the game. His offloading has been pretty special. And he’s also shown he hasn’t played a huge amount of rugby, so he’s got some potential to develop even further,” said New Zealand coach Graeme Henry of the league convert.
The making of this try didnt have much to do with Sonny Bill though, as he simply got on the end of a superb passing sequence from his side that they started in their own half. Sam Monaghan, Matt Todd, Stephen Brett, and Andy Ellis all combined to dazzle the Taranaki defence before getting the ball to the supporting Williams.
The other tries from the game will be featured as part of the ITM Cup highlights package later in the week, but for now heres this standout effort from a highly talented group of players.
Time:
01:55
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