A week after receiving a public ticking off for going skiing, Sonny Bill Williams looks likely to make his long-awaited New Zealand first class rugby debut on Friday night.
The former rugby league international has been New Zealand rugby's most talked about player this year after turning down a reported multi-million dollar contract with Toulon in France to try to make the All Blacks for next year's World Cup.
The 25-year-old Canterbury midfielder was criticised for skiing while still recovering from a hamstring injury but after playing 40 minutes in a Town-County match he's been named on the bench for the home match against Bay of Plenty.
Coach Rob Penney has also had to rejig his team after first-five Colin Slade was called into the All Blacks squad for their final Tri-Nations match against Australia to replace the injured Danl Carter.
Hooker Corey Flynn, tighthead prop Owen Franks and lock Sam Whitelock, however, were all cleared to play before they re-join the All Blacks in Auckland on Sunday.
