Sonny Bill Williams could have to withdraw from the All Blacks' northern tour after a shoulder injury forced him to retire in the 30th minute of the test against England.

Sonny Bill Williams has joined Joe Moody in the All Blacks' Hard Luck Club.

A shoulder injury forced second five-eighth Williams to depart the test against England in the 30th minute on Sunday morning, and he may take no further part in the tour.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen confirmed the 33 year old, who was forced to glumly sit on the sideline as the All Blacks held on to win 16-15 in London, could be unavailable for the remaining tests against Ireland and Italy in Dublin and Rome.

"He's got a grade one AC shoulder [injury]. He may be [unavailable] for a week, maybe two," Hansen said.

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Great to be apart of tonight’s spectacle. Alhumdulillah my injury doesn’t seem serious and we got the victory. Always respect to our English counterparts — Sonny Bill Williams (@SonnyBWilliams) November 10, 2018

Williams, like loosehead prop Moody who was ruled out of the rest of the tour after a teammate accidentally split his eyelid at training earlier in the week, has suffered a multitude of injuries this year.

Wrist, knee and shoulder injuries reduced Williams' appearances for the Blues (six) and the All Blacks. The game in London was just fifth test appearance this year. Moody has also had a terrible run of misfortune, with shoulder, finger, knee and thumb injuries, and now the eyelid problem, resulting in him entering various rehabilitation programmes.

The match at Twickenham was supposed to give the selectors another chance to assess how the Williams-Jack Goodhue combination would gel in the white-hot atmosphere of a big test, but the much anticipated outing turned into a fizzer. Williams was unable to impose himself in the difficult conditions, and struggled to hold the slippery ball as the rain tumbled down.

The pain in his shoulder capped off a frustrating outing, and his next appearance on the rugby field could be alongside former All Blacks midfielder Ma'a Nonu when they play alongside each other in the Blues' backline next year. Williams is expected to feature in the World Cup squad next year, but he will be desperate to stay in one piece to build his confidence ahead of the tournament.

The experienced Crotty was very good when he replaced Williams. His composure and leadership were evident, and it seems likely he and Crusaders team-mate Goodhue will start against Ireland next Sunday morning.

Hansen said it was too early to state whether a replacement for Williams would be required. If he is declared unfit for the remainder of the tour, Ngani Laumape, who scored three tries in the test against Japan in Tokyo a week ago, appears a logical selection.

"We haven't had time to discuss that. We will see how he [Williams] pulls up in the morning, and have a bit of a chat about it later," Hansen said.