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When asked about his greatest rugby influences, World Cup-winning All Black Sonny Bill Williams exclusively told Sportal of the effect Jonah Lomu had on his fledgling sporting career.
Williams, one of the great winger’s proteges, spoke of how Lomu had inadvertently sculpted his glittering future.
"Lomu is someone that just stood out to me because even when I didn’t play rugby, I knew who he was, " Williams told Sportal.
"There was talk of players being on his level but you just have to go back and watch his highlights to see how crazy he played.
"You just don’t see any player this day running through 10 blokes on the way to the try line – in a professional era too.
"What he did we don’t really appreciate."
Shocked, thoughts are with the Lomu family right now ❤️❤️
— Sonny Bill Williams (@SonnyBWilliams) November 18, 2015