The Super Rugby final will see Retallick's rugby journey come full circle

Born and raised in North Canterbury, Brodie Retallick will face the team he grew up watching and the team he has faced the most in his storied Super Rugby career come Saturday's final.

All roads to the Super Rugby trophy go through the Crusaders, it was the case in Retallick's debut season with the Chiefs and is again true this season.

Retallick will square off with Sam Whitelock, who he holds the record for most experienced locking partnership at the international level with, for the final time before the two conclude their New Zealand careers side by side at the Rugby World Cup in France.

“He’s always a competitor,” Retallick told Stuff. "And he’s been around so long, because of his skillset and how good he is at doing it.

“Obviously we’ve played a lot of test matches together, but it won’t mean much come Saturday, that’s for sure.”

Since his Chiefs debut in 2012, Retallick has had a simple message in mind, one emphasised by then coach Dave Rennie: "Winning every one-on-one battle.

“And I guess that’s what rugby’s all about, eh. So from those early years that was the message – don’t lose a one-on-one battle, and that’s just the way it was.”

That mentality saw the big lock debut for the All Blacks just months after debuting for the Chiefs and only a year removed from a U20 World Rugby championship win, a rare collection of accomplishments for a 12-month span.

Now a centurion for both club and country, Retallick is hoping to hear Waikato's cowbell chorus soundtrack another Super Rugby title win - as they did in 2011 and 2012 - before he returns to the Kobe Kobelco Steelers in 2024.

“Last week it kind of dawned for me, if we lost that was it, I started to pack up a little bit.

“What better way to play your last game in a final at home? And hopefully, the result takes care of itself. But it’s awesome to be here, it’s been a long time since I’ve played in a Super Rugby final.

“Obviously we’ve been successful on the field, but I think a lot of that comes from what we’re doing off the field, we’ve got a great group of guys. So it’d be good to convert the two, have a good bunch of guys in a good environment, and also get the result.”

The Chiefs will put in a performance inspired by Retallick's legacy and inspired to give the All Black the dream send-off he deserves.

Regardless of the result, when Retallick boards that flight for Japan, he'll leave knowing that the Chiefs are in safe hands. Young All Blacks Tupou Vaa'i and Josh Lord will assume the locking partnership and embark on their own journey, hoping for it to be as fruitful as their mentor's.

“I guess from where I was when I first walked in the door to now is probably a world apart," Retallick said. "As you get older you learn some life lessons and experiences, I had a family since then, and I guess with confidence and time in the saddle, you grow.

“It’s provided me so many experiences. A lot of stuff that people don’t get the chance to do, I’ve been lucky enough to do.

“I’ll enjoy the memories.”