Sonny Bill Williams had the rare privilege of playing alongside both Dan Carter and Jonny Wilkinson – but when asked to pick the greatest players he encountered, only one of the legendary fly-halves made the cut.
Williams shared a dressing room with Carter during one of the most successful periods in All Blacks history.
The pair were part of New Zealand’s 2011 Rugby World Cup-winning squad, while Williams would go on to lift the Webb Ellis Cup again four years later.
However, when the cross-code superstar was asked to name the best players he had played alongside or against, Carter was surprisingly absent.
Instead, Williams selected England legend Wilkinson as his standout fly-half – and ranked him No.1 among the players who impressed him most.
It is a debate that has followed the pair for years, with Wilkinson and Carter widely regarded as two of the greatest fly-halves rugby has ever seen.
Williams picks Wilkinson
Williams played alongside Wilkinson during his spell with Toulon after making the switch from rugby league.
The experience clearly left a lasting impression.
Speaking about the England World Cup winner, Williams said: “I’m lucky enough to say I’ve played with Jonny Wilkinson and have seen the commitment that he had.
“When I played with him, he was pretty much at the height of his powers, but the way he dedicated himself to his craft was unbelievable and I learnt a lot from him.”
Williams' other selections included Jonah Lomu and France legend Thierry Dusautoir, but there was no place for Carter.
That was despite Williams playing alongside his fellow New Zealander at Test level during an era in which Carter established himself as one of the sport’s all-time greats.
Carter finished his international career with 1,598 Test points and was named World Rugby Player of the Year three times.
However, when Williams made his own selection, it was Wilkinson who got the nod.
Wilkinson helped transform Williams' career
Williams has also revealed just how important playing alongside Wilkinson at Toulon was during the early stages of his rugby union career.
“Playing with Jonny in my second season at Toulon gave me the confidence to believe I could play international rugby,” Williams told The Guardian.
“That was the reason I wanted to go back home and try and prove to people and myself that I could play.”
Williams admitted he had doubts after switching codes, but playing alongside established stars such as Wilkinson and former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga changed his outlook.
“I had a lot of self-doubts when I first came to the code but I knew these guys had reached the top,” he added.
“Playing alongside them made me feel I could give it a crack.”
Years later, Williams went even further when discussing Wilkinson's influence.
Speaking to The Guardian in 2021, Williams said he learned how to play rugby union “from the best” in Wilkinson and admitted he was unsure whether he would have become an All Black without him.
Williams certainly went on to make his mark.
He won 58 caps for New Zealand and became a two-time Rugby World Cup winner, establishing himself as one of the most recognisable players of his generation.
Wilkinson also had huge respect for his former teammate, once admitting he had “not seen the likes of him before”.
And when Williams was given the chance to name the greatest players he had encountered, there was ultimately room for Wilkinson – but not Carter.
