Sonny Bill Williams will miss Auckland Blues’ match against Queensland Reds through injury, costing the centre a chance to impress All Black selectors ahead of the Test series against the British and Irish Lions.
The Blues said Williams had failed to recover sufficiently from a knee injury picked up in last weekend’s draw with the Waikato Chiefs.
As a result he will miss the Reds match on Friday, which will be played in the Samoan capital of Apia.
Coach Tana Umaga said several players were out of the game with niggling injuries.
Williams has had limited game time this year after coming back from an Achilles injury, then picking up a concussion and now nursing a sore knee.
The code-hopping star will be keen to return to full fitness for the first Test against the Lions on June 24.
If his knee recovers, he may have a run against the tourists when the Blues take on the Lions at Eden Park on June 7.
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