CARDIFF, Wales // Love him or hate him, Sonny Bill Williams adds a good dose of spice whether it be on the paddock in either code of rugby or in the boxing ring.
The latest reincarnation for the 28 year old code-swapping Kiwi, who is also New Zealand’s heavyweight boxing champion, is back in rugby league, with his aim set on becoming the first player to win both union and league World Cups.
Fresh from helping the Sydney Roosters win the NRL, second-rower Williams is in the New Zealand squad seeking to defend the Rugby League World Cup crown they snatched off Australia in 2008.
Williams, playing as a centre, had also been part of the All Blacks squad that won the Rugby Union World Cup on home soil in 2011 after an acrimonious defection from league (and the Cantebury Bulldogs) in 2008 and going on to play union in France, Japan and back in New Zealand.
“This year, we won a competition (with the Sydney Roosters) and hopefully we can add a World Cup,” was Williams’ blunt assessment of what he was eyeing here ahead of his team’s opening match against Samoa in Warrington on Sunday.
But even his inclusion was masked in controversy after he initially rebuffed a place, only to rescind, meaning coach Stephen Kearney was forced to drop Tohu Harris to make way for Williams.
The second-rower, who dashed the hopes of Waikato Chiefs and the New Zealand Rugby Union by signing a new contract with the Roosters for 2014, added that he thrived on the pressure surrounding him.
“From the start of this season, there was a lot of pressure. I had everything to lose and the pressure was firmly on me,” he said.
“I guess I kind of thrive on that. It gets the best out of me. I seem to be able to push that to one side and focus on all the little things.
“It starts with earning my teammates’ respect through doing the hard work that you don’t see on TV, not the flashy stuff. I know once I do that, all the big plays, all the flashy things seem to come off.”
Williams said that the 13-a-side game was harder for him than union.
“Competitively, I believe rugby league is a lot tougher. Just because in rugby I played in the backs, with the pretty boys kicking stones out wide, doing our hair. In rugby league, I’m in the middle, doing the hard yards. It’s a very tough sport.”
Williams, who stressed that his boxing career was on hold and that he had no plans for signing for English Super League club Salford, insisted he was now “content”.
“I don’t know if it shows, but I definitely walk around with a bit of a swagger because I’m happy as a man,” he said.
Kiwi captain Simon Mannering was in no doubt about Williams’ worth: “He’s a huge asset for the side.
“He’s great to have in the team, not just for the way he plays but the way he carries himself off the field as well.”
Australian skipper Cameron Smith even expressed his hope that the hot-favourite Kangaroos might escape some of the spotlight given the sideshow surrounding Williams.
“That’s the type of bloke (Williams) is – a lot of people follow him and they’re pretty keen on the way he’s playing and what he’s doing,” Smith told AAP.
“A lot of the interest will be on him, there’s no doubt about that, and that’s great for us.
“As a lover of rugby league, yes (his inclusion is great), as an Australian representative, no,” Smith said.
“He’s a fantastic player and he only makes their squad stronger.
“It creates some positive headlines for the sport, but hopefully if there comes a time when we’re playing against him, he’s not playing that well.”
New Zealand coach Kearney added: “When you’ve excelled at three sports like he has ... it’s not only your talent that’s getting you through, it’s other qualities which have to be a part of his makeup.
“He’s as driven as any other athlete I’ve seen to want to be the best. That helps the group around him.”
The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe
Price, base: Dh201,153
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 204hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 300Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
Race card
5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m
6.05pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,400m
6.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 1,200m
7.50pm: Longines Stakes – Conditions (TB) Dh120,00 (D) 1,900m
8.25pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m
9pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 2,410m
9.35pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 2,000m
The biog
Name: Marie Byrne
Nationality: Irish
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption
Book: Seagull by Jonathan Livingston
Life lesson: A person is not old until regret takes the place of their dreams
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
MATCH INFO
Wales 1 (Bale 45 3')
Croatia 1 (Vlasic 09')
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Fines for littering
In Dubai:
Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro
Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle.
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle
In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.0-litre%20twin-turbo%20V8%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E680hp%20at%206%2C000rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E800Nm%20at%202%2C750-6%2C000rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERear-mounted%20eight-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E13.6L%2F100km%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Orderbook%20open%3B%20deliveries%20start%20end%20of%20year%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh970%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
