KEY POINTS:
The jaw brace is off, "behavioural issues" in Sydney are firmly behind him and All Black Ali Williams was all smiles when he faced more than 1000 cheering schoolchildren in Manurewa yesterday.
The 2.02m lock, co-patron with teammate Doug Howlett of the charity KidsCan, gave an inspiring speech
to the students from three low-income schools who have been given free waterproof jackets bearing the All Black silver fern logo.
The charity also gives some of the children free muesli bars and fruit salads because they come to school without enough, or sometimes any, lunch.
Williams helped to launch an appeal for 10,000 people to contribute $10 a month to give food and jackets to a waiting list of 10,000 children at 70 other low-decile schools throughout New Zealand.
He told the children they should "try everything from all sports and all subjects" and "strive to be the best you can be" in everything they did.
"With having this jacket on, you are part of us as an All Black team and your support and your belief in us is much appreciated," he told them.
He told journalists later that he had had "a difficult year in some areas", but he wanted to put those issues behind him and give something back to the country that had given him so much.
"I'm a big believer in a mentor system where kids can get guidance by people who have been there before them, by people who have made mistakes," he said.
"I've made a few mistakes in my life."
That was as close as he got to mentioning the late-night Sydney drinking sessions and what Blues boss Andy Dalton described as other "behavioural issues" which led to his being sent home in disgrace from South Africa in May.
He was forced out of the All Blacks again a month ago because of an injury which had his jaw in a brace until two days ago.
He said the brace had not stopped him from training for the Rugby World Cup, which starts in France on September 8.
"I've been doing everything, training twice a day for the last two weeks.
"I've been struggling, breathing through a lot of metal. But I actually got my brace off two days ago and I'm starting to get back on track," he said.
Yesterday he and Black Cap Jeetan Patel were swamped by students asking for autographs on everything from scraps of paper to the sleeves of their new jackets.
"To see the smile on the kids' faces was pretty special."
Weymouth Intermediate School student Amber Sampson, who got autographs on two poi used in a kapa haka display to welcome the celebrities, said the new black adidas jackets were "cool".
"I did have one [a raincoat] but I wouldn't wear it to school because it's odd. It's bright pink," she said.
Another intermediate student, Josh Wrightson, also had a coat but it was "all ripped".
Another said: "I didn't have one. My parents didn't buy me one. I really needed it because I used to always get sick when I ran [to school] in the rain."
Weymouth Primary School principal Janice Vermeulen said teachers had noticed big changes in the children's attitudes since the jackets were distributed at their school last year.
"They are really proud of it."
KidsCan chief executive Julie Helson said the charity had now distributed 16,000 jackets and 2000 pairs of shoes and was providing muesli bars and fruit salads to 6000 children at 68 low-decile schools each week.
On the web: www.kidscan.org.nz