Ailing Ali opts for an early holiday
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:57
Injured All Blacks lock, Ali Williams has decided to bring forward his New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) approved 'sabbatical' and return for the full Super 14 next year.
Williams' season has been cut short through recurring Achilles Tendon and shoulder ailments which now requires surgery.
He is likely to be sidelined for six months but the 61-test All Black stressed that the extended time off will give him the chance to focus on other things.
"I've obviously talked about having an extended leave, and it's been forced upon me now," Williams told reporters in Auckland.
"I'll take that and go and do what I'm going to do and come back revitalised and ready to go. There's always positives out of things that aren't so pleasing.
"I'm over the frustrations – you've just got to accept it and move on and have other visions and do what you need to do to come back," said who played just three Super 14 matches in 2009
"When you can't play a game that you love, you have to look at other things. You can't waste energy."
Williams confirmed he would be ready and available for the Blues from the get-go in 2010 but he ruled out any possibility of an early return.
"Hindsight's a beautiful thing," he said. "Medically, no; but obviously from a results perspective, maybe. [But] there's no finger-pointing or anything like that.
"It's was just one of those things - your body does what it does. You've just got to accept it."
Meanwhile, All Blacks coach Graham Henry will name a 30-strong Tri-Nations squad on Saturday which will include Williams' All Black successor Isaac Ross, veteran Brad Thorn and rookie Bryn Evans while Taranaki and Hurricanes lock Jason Eaton is tipped to get the nod as the fourth lock.
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