Give Williams the No 14 jersey

SONNY BILL Williams should play his All Blacks rugby on the wing, says former national selector Earle Kirton.

There has been much debate about whether Williams or Ma'a Nonu should partner Conrad Smith in the midfield this season, but Kirton suggests the selectors should look to accommodate both players in the run-on XV.

He feels SBW has potential to make the same kind of impact as Jonah Lomu did at the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

“You might think it's from left field, but SBW should be considered on the right wing,” he told the Dominion Post.

“If you have Sonny Bill ghosting across the back of Ma'a Nonu and then entering the backline the defence won't know what to do.

“With Jonah Lomu we used to say he scored tries without the ball because he took out so many defenders as a decoy, and I think Sonny Bill could have the same effect from the wing.

“You would have Nonu and SBW to deal with and with Dan Carter at first five-eighth and Conrad Smith running wide it would be a nightmare [for defences].”

Kirton believed that the Crusaders midfielder would adapt quickly to playing further out wide in the backline and that his power would complement the pace of Sitiveni Sivivatu, Hosea Gear and Sean Maitland on the left wing.

All Blacks coach Graham Henry will name his squad for the Tri Nations this Sunday.