Super Rugby
Sonny Bill on course after boxing bout
ESPNscrum Staff
February 1, 2011
Sonny Bill Williams takes on Scott Lewis in his third professional boxing bout, Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, Gold Coast, Australia, January 29, 2011
Sonny Bill Williams won his third pro boxing bout last weekend © Getty Images
Enlarge
Related Links
Players/Officials: Sonny Bill Williams
Tournaments/Tours: Super Rugby

Medical staff have confirmed that Sonny Bill Williams' controversial boxing bout last weekend did no harm to his bid to be fit for the Crusaders' Super Rugby campaign.

All Blacks doctor Deb Robinson and her Crusaders counterpart, Martin Swan, met with Williams on his return to Christchurch on Sunday and confirmed that there were no fresh issues arising from the centre's unanimous points win over Scott Lewis on Saturday night.

Williams currently has a stress fracture of the left fibula bone, which was diagnosed towards the end of the All Blacks tour of the United Kingdom late last year.

"He had a re-x-ray and the x-ray looks really good," Robinson said. "He's had lots of bone healing, there's certainly no concerns about it, there's no new injury and he's come through the last month well.

"He's been boxing-fighting and we are going to get him back into rugby training, but it will take two or three sessions of running to see how he's going. We're a bit reluctant to commit ourselves to say he'll be ready for round one but he may be."

Williams was widely criticised for his decision to take the fight so close to the start of the season, but Robinson refused to jump on the bandwagon.

"He was great. He followed our instructions really well and had no problems at all through that month," she said. "I don't think you could fault the guy - he does everything you ask of him and he works very, very hard."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Live Sports

Communication error please reload the page.

ABOUT COOKIES

To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies.

More Info Here Cookie Choices