SBW believes the Wallabies can conquer the Lions, if they do one thing
That was the declaration of dual-code champion Sonny Bill Williams, who believed the Wallabies had the tools to conquer the British and Irish Lions, if they exploited the weapons embedded in their backline.
The 39-year-old, speaking in Brisbane ahead of his Stan Sport boxing bout with Paul Gallen on July 16, was adamant Australia had enough firepower to thwart their highly-touted rivals, and should not be overawed by the occasion.
Nor should they be shackled by expectations dumped on them in the past, having endured a horror 2023 before showing signs of growth under Test coach Joe Schmidt.
Williams – who won two World Cups with the All Blacks and featured in their drawn 2017 series of the Lions – saw huge strides taken among the Super Rugby sides in 2025.
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But while he believed a greater quality of player depth had been fostered, that is where the Lions may hold the edge.
'They'll be riding on a bit of a high from their Super Rugby series. Some players played really good, the franchises played really good, and they were unlucky to miss out on the final,' Williams told this masthead.
'But I think the test will be in the later stages of each game because the British and Irish Lions are bringing on some world-class players. They've got depth.
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