Tamaiti Williams: Crusaders prop on the team's win over the Highlanders

A late game gamble has paid off for the Crusaders during their 15-12 Super Rugby win over the Highlanders in Christchurch.

Down 12-10 inside the final 10 minutes, the Crusaders turned down a chance kick a penalty goal and take the lead, instead opting for a line-out.

Prop Tamaiti Williams joined Piney to discuss.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalks EDB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
But the Crusaders have moved to the top of the
Super Rugby table after pipping the Highlanders fifteen twelve in
christ Church. Islander's first five cam Miller missed a late
thirty eight meter penalty that would have sent the game
to extra time. The Crusader's got a couple of tries,
one to seven Reese, who became the all time leading
Super Rugby tri scorer with sixty six, and the other

(00:33):
to All Blacks front rower to Mighty Williams.

Speaker 3 (00:36):
Very close to the life the room sells. Just sure,
just sure they picked it. Go the Crusaders there over.

Speaker 4 (00:46):
So Mighty Willnds. I think you're finding us right, They're
absolutely right.

Speaker 3 (00:50):
Craig there to Mighty Williams, who's going to have it
a score it tries this season. A boat shift fer
on the tighthead side tonight puts the Crusaders back in
front with eight.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
To play at to Mighty Williams joins this the first
time somebody you could say you've scored a try from
further out than Severn Reese.

Speaker 5 (01:13):
Yeah, that guy's rising around the last few days, so
it's good to go on over.

Speaker 4 (01:18):
Fantastic. He scored his sixty six last night.

Speaker 2 (01:22):
As I say, he's now the all time leading Super
rugby try scorer. Is that something that you celebrated as
a team last night after the game?

Speaker 5 (01:31):
Yeah, me, of course. It's not every day you get
to see a mate back to all time scoring records,
so we had a few milestones last night, but we
men sure we celebrated him as well.

Speaker 2 (01:43):
You'll try to mighty came from a line out drive
from a penalty. You're twelve ten down at that time
with ten minutes ago. Were there any conversations going on
out there about taking a shot at goal rather than
picking for the line and taking the lineout?

Speaker 5 (02:00):
Well, I'm at the front of the lineout verus our
game drivers were sorting it out of the back player,
but I was pretty set on going to the corner
and back in our more. I actually hope that we
scored a more time, but yeah, I'm lucky enough to
get it in the end.

Speaker 4 (02:16):
Fantastic. Yeah, well, yeah, took another phase, but it must.

Speaker 2 (02:20):
I know it's all a team game and everything like that,
but you know, to play a significant role like that,
as our commentator Nick Bully just said on the radio call,
you've made a bit of a habit of scoring tries.

Speaker 4 (02:30):
Must be nice to dop down like that in such
an important moment.

Speaker 5 (02:35):
No, it's cool, man, We're weare all of it. I'm
showing care for our teammates and I happened just to
be there. So yeah, Tom Christy's done more work than me,
so credit to him.

Speaker 2 (02:50):
The other thing, also, obviously, is that you were still
on at that time. When was the last time and
right till the end, when was the last time you
played eighty minutes in a game?

Speaker 5 (03:02):
I can't remember then Holy Reacing Club. But honestly, I
didn't even look at the clock. I just I knew
it was getting pretty deep in the game. But I
think when I looked up it was about five minutes
to go. So I was like, man, we've played that
much already.

Speaker 4 (03:18):
Reminds me play the exactly right.

Speaker 2 (03:20):
So it didn't sort of occur to you because I
guess what, Normally the trend seems to be that front
row forwards, you know, play an hour, maybe a little
bit more, and then they're replaced. It just didn't really
occur to you. Hey, I think he's going to keep
me on for the whole game.

Speaker 5 (03:35):
Yet, Yeah, I think that. Once I seen my mate
George Balgof, I've kind of looked at thighlighter thought maybe
I might be out here the whole game. Look, we're
just prepared for however long we get, and yeah, wen'
let the coaches make those decisions.

Speaker 2 (03:55):
So the Highlanders had a late chance to kick a
penalty which would have taken it into golden point.

Speaker 4 (04:02):
What was your view of that?

Speaker 2 (04:03):
I couldn't quite pick out where you were on the
field when that penalty was being taken.

Speaker 4 (04:07):
What was your view of it?

Speaker 5 (04:12):
My view was I knew if they kicked the goal,
we're going to golden points. I was using as much
of their time just to re se and find whatever
energy I had to to. Yeah, maybe having to play
extra time unlucky to the Highlanders, but they played such

(04:32):
a good, better rugby and you know, more often they're
not and he gets that goal, so big up to
the Highlanders. They come to play and it's, like I
said after the game, that's just the nature and the
son and Darby and how much it leaves.

Speaker 2 (04:49):
The other interesting feature of last night, as far as
your concerned was that you played tight head. How different
is it wearing number three instead of number one on
your back?

Speaker 5 (05:02):
Well, it's pretty different. I guess the only difference is
you scribing against two people, not one. Now, I've played
both my whole career, so I make sure that that
I stayed ready for both sides last night's case, it's
not too much of a shock to the system. Yeah,

(05:24):
so you just keep it the same and keep going.

Speaker 2 (05:27):
And you've played in all but one of the crusaders
thirteen games this season teen starts. Last year, I know
it was a frustrating season for you with just four
matches through injury and such, like, how much are you
enjoying a decent run of games this season?

Speaker 5 (05:44):
Loving? Loving my time? Man, I'm taking a week by
week the Crusader's June You means so much to me. So,
like you said, it was quite frustrating, and yeah, that
got in that I couldn't be out there more last year.
But I'm just enjoying the group, you know, having having
the older boys and younger boys coming, people like James a.

(06:05):
Conna bringing his experience to the team. It's been it's
been a fun year. So hopefully you can keep building.

Speaker 2 (06:14):
Apart from the fact that you're playing more often, and
I'm sure that's a big reason for it, but and
some others coming back as well, the likes of World Jordan.

Speaker 4 (06:21):
What is so different this year compared to last year.

Speaker 5 (06:28):
We took a lot of learnings. We took a lot
of learnings from last year, and if you look at
the season as a whole, it looks bad last year,
but we actually just lost a lot of type games
and we're trying to figure out how we can win
those type games. For example last night, and David Harvey

(06:49):
is doing a good job. Here's a good leadership around him,
and he's playing well, so it helps the team.

Speaker 2 (06:55):
So now you prepare for the Brumbies away in your
final match. You know you can't fall out of the
top three now, but how important is it for you
to finish strongly against a team that, who knows you
may well faced when the finals roll around.

Speaker 5 (07:10):
Yeah, when we're not really thinking about the finals, we
were thinking about the Brumbies next week. Whatever happens posts
Brumbies will take care of itself by our full focuses
on respecting the Bumbies as a team and how good
they're going, so we're looking forward to getting out of
the ditch and yeah, hopefully put on a good performance.

Speaker 2 (07:34):
Can I ask about another member of the front row
who I don't know that many people had heard of
before the season, but he's been given a lot of
opportunity and taking those opportunities. That's your mate, the hooker
Yuanni Muanahu. What have you made of his office development
this year?

Speaker 5 (07:51):
It's been really cool to see to see him do
his thing on the field. He's been with us for
the last three years and what the public's seen on
TV nails will have been seen in the training in
the last few years. And just to see his confidence
grow and just to watch them back himself like the

(08:12):
kicks and play and turnovers, celebrations. He's a real weapon
to our team and the boys love the boys loves
him grow and we're actually giving a lot of confidence
from him as well. So as much as he as
he is learning where we're learning, probably more awesome.

Speaker 2 (08:31):
So it's been good, outstanding And just to finish out,
I know you're only focusing on Super rugby, but you
played ten times for the All Blacks last year, eighteen
tests in total. Now for you to Mighty, have you
started thinking about the black jersey in twenty twenty five.

Speaker 5 (08:48):
I guess when you at the start of the year
and you see your goals for the year, that's up
there for me, Bro, I'm quite I have to say,
stay prison. I see it small goals and obviously the
goals to being up next jersey, but right now the
red and black jersey and it didn't mean so much

(09:09):
to me is so out of respect. I'll give my
word to that team first, and you're hopefully going to
high honors.

Speaker 2 (09:15):
Yeah, well, you certainly gave it all last night. A year,
but a but surer today after eighty minutes. I keep
coming back to that eighty minutes for a prop man,
it just doesn't happen.

Speaker 5 (09:24):
Yeah, but so very Hey, my wife put me on
the Morning System's baby this morning, So being a dad
right now as all that matter is, we'll sort the
sawn us out later.

Speaker 2 (09:36):
Good Man, Well, thanks for taking ten minutes out of
your day to chat to us. To Mighty, congrats on
the win last night. Mate, you're playing brilliantly. All the
best for the rest of well the regular season next
week and then on towards the finals. Really appreciate you
taking our.

Speaker 5 (09:47):
Call so you can appreciate those home me on. Cheers
all the.

Speaker 2 (09:51):
Best, mate, Cheers that is up to mighty Williams Crusaders
front rower try scorer last night and All Blacks front
rower as well.

Speaker 4 (09:59):
Yeah, it just doesn't happen, does it, you know?

Speaker 2 (10:01):
And again I liked it last week as well when
cam royguard stayed on for the whole game for the
Hurricanes and ended up scoring the try at the end
to win the game against the Highlanders. And look, there
just seems to be this. I know that rugby is
a twenty three man game, of course it is. Everybody
you know contributes in their own way, but if someone's
playing well, why not just leave them on more so

(10:24):
I think with like a halfback, but for a front
rower to stay on. And George Bauer was on for
seventy eight minutes as well, So to see the number
one and three out there so late in the game
was you know, it was?

Speaker 4 (10:37):
It was well, it was something you don't see very often.

Speaker 1 (10:41):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk sed B weekends from midday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.