Tamaiti Williams may now be an experienced international but even he was taken by surprise at times during the All Blacks’ 2025 season.
New Zealand once again endured a mixed campaign, losing three matches and failing to win the Rugby Championship or seal a Grand Slam on their northern hemisphere tour.
That has not stopped Williams from becoming one of the world’s best props, however, with the loosehead absolutely vital to their cause over the past couple of years.
The 25-year-old made his Test debut in 2023 and played a key role in their run to the Rugby World Cup final that year, coming off the bench to impressively quell the Springboks threat at the scrum.
Bench impact
He has continued to develop since that tournament but he was largely used by All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson as an impact player off the bench in 2025.
“One thing I’ve learnt is when you get an opportunity you’ve got to take it. I’ve got it right at times but I’ve also got it wrong. I’ve taken a lot of growth out of that,” he told the New Zealand Herald.
“I feel like my game is evolving. Earlier in my career, I played loosehead and tighthead, but I’m at loosehead at the moment. The demand on the prop nowadays to 20 years ago is a lot different. The way we want to play the game is a lot different.
“I’ve been challenged in ways that caught me off guard. There’s been some big moments in games, like the scrum against England, and also how I can help people around me so I’m still developing.”
The game has changed over the past few years, which means that despite not starting Williams arguably has a more important role by coming off the bench.
“I started a lot last year, but with my role [this year] coming off the bench I’ve learnt how important that is. Everyone wants to start, but I’m a full believer in team first so it’s been a bit of a ride,” he said.
New and old heads
Williams therefore hopes to iron out those flaws when the 2026 Test season begins as the All Blacks seek to finally hit their stride under Robertson.
The head honcho handed a number of debuts out in 2025 but an experienced core still remains in the forward pack.
“I hope it goes that way. One thing I’ve learnt in rugby is there’ll never be a time that this team will be together again. You never know what next year brings,” the Crusaders prop added.
“You’ve got Codie Taylor, Scott Barrett and Ardie Savea who have been here for a decade but then I’ll sit next to Fabian (Holland). I remember watching his under-20s for the Highlanders in Ashburton and that feels like yesterday.
“It’s a real strength of ours. We have a lot of different athletes and ages.”
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