Sonny Bill Williams has been declared fit to face the Lions

The Blues coaching staff have confirmed that Sonny Bill Williams has passed all the necessary checks on his knee following Monday's main training hitout and Tuesday's Captain's Run to take his place in the Blues clash with the British and Irish Lions.

Blues assistant coach Alistair Rogers confirmed after Tuesday's Captain's Run that Williams was ready to take his place in midfield alongside George Moala to face the Lions.

"Sonny has come through really well. He came through yesterday pretty good. When he cooled down last night he was feeling really good and he looked very fresh out there this morning.

"We're please he's in and look forward to seeing him go."

Rogers said the expectation was that Williams would deliver his usual high-level performance.

"The key thing for Sonny is he comes with a  certain skillset and attributes and we want to see that, as long as it sticks within what we're trying to achieve and the patterns we're trying to play. His communication is very good and brings a lot of comfort to those around him.

 

The All Blacks squad of 31 to face the Lions will be named on Thursday, with head coach Hansen having to make some big calls around players either on the long-term injury list or just picking up fresh dings in Super Rugby, as Ryan Crotty did at the weekend with his rib cartilage.