WELLINGTON – All Black centre
Sonny Bill Williams has been cleared of concussion and flown to South Africa with the Blues’ squad for their
match against the Stormers in Cape
Town.
Williams suffered a knee to the head during the win over the
Waratahs in Sydney
last week, and missed Friday’s 50-32 home win over the Cheetahs.
He is expected to start at inside centre against the
Stormers as the Blues look to keep their playoffs hopes alive in the hugely
competitive New Zealand
conference.
The Blues lost two players for the Cape Town match, however, with prop Pauliasi
Manu and flyhalf Ihaia West both injured during the Cheetahs match.
Manu left the field early with a calf problem, while West
strained his ankle when he came on as a substitute for Piers Francis, who was
injured in the first half.
Sonny Bill Williams was a crowd favourite as the All Blacks arrived in PE for their Tri-Nations match against the Boks.
Manu has been replaced by Sione Mafileo, with Bryn Gatland,
the son of British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland, rejoining the Blues as
a replacement for West.
Francis was considered fit enough to travel with the squad.