All Blacks looking at some Sonny days in the future

Sonny Bill Williams is the kind of name that might have been given to a black American boxer from the Deep South. Even the briefest of conversations with Williams reveals an accent that is as much a part of New Zealand as the famous All-Black jersey and silver fern. Williams is still only at the foothills of an international rugby career, but with his talent he is regarded as the next big thing in a country that produces world class rugby players like Kerry churns out top-notch Gaelic footballers. Williams was among the many famous names and faces who took part in the All Blacks training session at Ashbourne RFC on Thursday afternoon. Was he enjoying his stint in Ireland? “It's great mate, bit cold though,†he told the Meath Chronicle as he made his way off the pitch towards the end of the session. All the big names were there going through their paces. Speed merchants Hosea Gear and Cory Jane, the prince of the breakdown Richie McCaw (pictured), the awesome midfield combination of Conrad Smith and Ma'a Nonu, place-kicker supreme Dan Carter. Out on the Ashbourne pitch in the middle of arguably the most powerful team in World rugby at the moment was coach Graham Henry barking out orders. His high-pitched Kiwi accent seemed incongruous as it echoed around the Meath countryside. “Scrum over there boys,†he yelled out and followed it a few minutes later by: “A set-piece over here guys.†It was hardly surprising that Henry, who was the picture of intensity and concentration, moved among his troops like a general - the New Zealand tour schedule is organised and run with military precision. Everything appears to be worked out down to the last detail, the last minute. Nothing is left to chance as the men in black go in search of another grand slam against their rivals from the northern hemisphere. The Kiwis arrived in Ashbourne to prepare for Saturday's game against Ireland on the back of an impressive win over England and a hammering of Scotland. The Meath venue would not have been chosen by accident by the Kiwis. They leave nothing to chance. They would have checked out the ground long before the tour got underway. They would have demanded that it was of a high standard. The All-Blacks are insatiable for success, almost to the point of being obsessive about their preparations – and everything else. Maybe that's why Ireland has never beaten them in 105 years trying? Maybe that's why their former scrum-half Justin Marshall could claim, with some justification, in the Irish Independent on Thursday that not one Irish player would make it onto the New Zealand line-out now. Not even Brian O'Driscoll. Ouch. In recent years Ashbourne have spent thousands on their home. Their first team are in the Leinster League Div 2 yet they have facilities that are first class, much better than many AIL outfits. With their splendid all-weather pitch it's no wonder they have attracted international ladies games in recent years. They even have two new stands now. “Everybody appeared to be very happy,†said Ashbourne official Bill Duggan. There was no messing among the Kiwis during the full-on training stint on Thursday. They went through drill after drill, moving the ball through the phases as if they were playing in the World Cup final. When the New Zealanders go to work they mean business. The players were supported by a little army of 'helpers,' various coaches and backroom people who hovered around carrying out their chores. They even filmed the training session presumably for Henry and his coaching staff to look at it later to see if there are any areas they could improve on. Thursdays training session was closed to the public, but two days previously, on the Tuesday morning they did allow what was describled as “a couple of hundred†members of the local community to call in and have a look at the famous visitors. On Thursday there was tight security, including a plain-clothes Garda at the gate. While the All Blacks did their PR bit two days previously a certain degree of paranoia is alive and well in adult rugby. In the Leinster League and AIL some team mentors can look suspiciously on you if you ask them for a team line-up, espeically if they don't know you and it's some time before the game starts. They're afraid of giving the opposition any edge. That suspicion intensifies as you move up the grades. Among those who did manage to get in on Thursday was New Zealander Ian Stewart. and his young son Cameron. Ian has lived in Ardee for 15 years and they had travelled down to see such famous All Blacks as Smith, McCaw, Carter – and the one and only Sonny Bill Williams.