Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

It is not very often that Sideline Sid admits he is/was wrong, however after watching the All Blacks endeavours against that side from across the ditch on the last two Saturday nights – he is happy to say that he got it wrong about Sonny Bill Williams.

When Williams turned to rugby and during last year's Rugby World Cup, I was scathing of the reasons and then performances of the man who switched rugby codes in order to wear the BLACK jersey.

However, since super rugby season started this year, Williams has shown that he is a player of amazing talent and uncanny ability. His off loads and being at the right place at the right time on countless occasions are no flukes, but the badge of genuine excellence.

Just when he is showing that he could (in time) become an All Black great, he is turkeying off to Japan, then back to league.

While Williams has phenomenal skills and talent he lacks one key ingredient of the true greats in sport – LOYALTY.

Williams is one of the chosen few that can turn his hand, with outstanding success, no matter what sport he chooses. Throughout the years the All Blacks have had a number of dual internationals that would play cricket in the summer and the great game in the winter.

In those long ago days there was a clear distinction between the summer and winter codes seasons, with rugby kicking off, only after the stumps had been lifted in for the final time in the cricket season.

The last to bridge the two codes at international level was Jeff Wilson.

While Goldie played for his country in both games, he was predominately an outstanding rugby player who also played cricket. In the mid 1990's the advent of Super Rugby forced Jeff to choose rugby over cricket. In the 1970's and early 1980's Brian McKechnie was the last of the great amateur sportsmen to play both codes. McKecknie is probably best known for his part in the infamous under arm bowling by the Aussies in 1981.

Eric Tindall was no only what was then called a double All Black, representing his country in both rugby and cricket, but went on to become a International cricket umpire and rugby referee. There were also four All Blacks that won New Zealand heavyweight boxing titles, with the best known being Kevin Skinner who tamed the Springbok front row in 1956.

In the Western Bay of Plenty there has also been a number of sportsmen who excelled in the summer and winter codes.

All Black legend Grant Fox played cricket for the Bay of Plenty on nine occasions, with another All Black in Wayne Graham being selected for the New Zealand Secondary Schools Cricket side while at Tauranga Boys' College.

Professional cricket will stymie any hopes that Western Bays Kane Williamson could have of representing New Zealand in another sport.

From a young age Kane showed outstanding promise in the multitude of sports that he tried. Only the most talented, sign professional sports contracts while still attending secondary school, with Williamson signing on with the Northern Knights in his last year at Tauranga Boys' College.

However, we can look forward to Williamson being regarded in the future as one of the great New Zealand cricket players, ranking alongside the likes of Richard Hadlee, Glen Turner, Martin Crowe and Chris Cairns.

Seeya at the Game.