'Sport can be pretty cruel': Whitelock signs off on immense All Blacks career
Sam Whitelock finishes his All Blacks career as the nation's most-capped player, a two-time world champion as well as both a Rugby World Cup silver and bronze medalist among a myriad of other accolades.
The lock's legacy is second to none, but his storied international career didn't finish on the high note he hoped it would have in the weekend's Rugby World Cup final.
Falling to an agonising one-point loss to serial rivals South Africa, the All Blacks farewelled Whitelock, along with several other legends on an emotional night in Paris.
Dane Coles, Brodie Retallick, Nepo Laulala and Aaron Smith all join Whitelock in departing the famous black jersey while a number of other stars have sabbaticals or overseas contracts with the potential of a return within the coming years still on the table.
“The boys have been great, they’re getting around everyone and making sure everyone is supported in there," Whitelock said on the pain of defeat after the final. "Sport can be pretty cruel.”
The loss caps a trying four-year period for the All Blacks, the team incurred record losses but also retained The Rugby Championship each year in its different formats.
Whitelock commended his team's growth throughout the tournament and praised the belief shown given the challenges of the World Cup cycle.
“You always have to have faith. We had seen parts of it over the last couple of years when we have put it together for periods but I felt we took a couple of big steps in this tournament.
"We didn’t get the job done against France early on but there were parts we were really proud of. We took that confidence moving forward and that allowed us to expand and play our game. Tonight we really didn’t get in our flow.”
It will be France where Whitelock will take the field next, joining his brother Luke at Pau after an historic career with the Crusaders in Super Rugby.
“It’s a bit weird. It hasn’t sunk in yet. I am still here with the team and speaking English. It will be completely different when we get back but that is still a month or so away. I’m just dealing with this at the moment.”
The 35-year-old is a man of few words, often saying he expects it won't be until later on in life when he's reflecting on stories, relationships and his career as a whole that the emotions over his journey truly sink in.
“Every jersey is special. It’s an absolute privilege to play for your country and it doesn’t matter who you are playing against. It’s special playing in a World Cup final.”
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> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
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