New Zealand hero Sonny Bill Williams gave World Cup winning medal to young fan Charlie Lines

As the All Blacks paraded around Twickenham in the aftermath of their 34-17 win over Australia, an over-eager fan charged onto the pitch to celebrate with his heroes, only to be felled by a security guard with a diving tackle straight out of a the All Black coaching manual.

Charlie Lines looked set to be sent back to the stands in disgrace, but Williams intervened, telling the security guard to let him be.

And then, even more amazingly, he gave the lucky individual his World Cup winner's medal.

"I was walking around doing a lap of honour with the boys and a young fella came running out and he got smoked by the security guard, like full on tackled him," Williams explained afterwards. "I felt sorry for the little fella."

"He would have been eight or seven, I kind of felt sorry for him. It will be a night that he remembers hopefully. He can tell that story for years to come. He might be a future All Black.

"If that was a younger brother or cousin I would have given the security guard a hiding. But I just picked the kid up and took him back to his old lady and tried to make the night more memorable for him. When he gets older he'll be telling his kids things like that. That's more special than having it hanging up on my wall at home."