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Whitelock touches down for Pau hoping to find positives in RWC final defeat
By Rugby365
New Zealand second row forward Sam Whitelock said he hopes to find a positive side to last month’s World Cup Final loss, after arriving at French Top 14 club Pau on a two-year deal.
Whitelock played the last of his 153 Tests, an All Black record, in last month’s one-point (11-12) loss to South Africa in the World Cup Final.
He failed to become the first player to win the tournament on three times having won the Webb Ellis Cup in 2011 and four years later.
“I don’t think any player that goes so close ever gets over it but you learn that you can’t change history,” Whitelock told reporters during his presentation as a Pau player.
“Hopefully I can take what I experienced and put a good spin on it at some stages,” the former Crusaders forward added.
As is often the case after a World Cup, a host of All Blacks players have chosen to leave New Zealand for lucrative contracts abroad.
The majority this time around, including captain Sam Cane, World Rugby Player of the Year Ardie Savea and first-choice halfbacks Aaron Smith and Richie Mo’unga, have signed deals in Japan.
From this year’s World Cup vintage, only 35-year-old Whitelock, wing Leicester Fainga’anuku and prop Nepo Laulala have agreed to move to France and its gruelling 10-month season.
“It’s a different way of life coming to France,” the bearded Whitelock said, having moved over with his wife and three children.
“We’ve gone from winter to winter, we’ll try and sneak away to some warmth at some stage.
“I’m looking forward to experiencing different things,” the former Panasonic Wild Knights lock added.
In France, Whitelock will be captained by his sibling and eight-time All Black Luke Whitelock, who turns 33 in January having been at Pau since 2019.
“My little brother Luke has been sowing seeds, dropping hints, for the last three, four years,” Sam Whitelock said.
“There’s been a bit of cheek in the family, asking if I am going to listen to him if tells me what do?
“We’ll have to wait and see if that’s true,” he jokingly added.
The older Whitelock joins a Pau side flying high in the Top 14 in second place having been involved in the relegation scrap since their most recent promotion in 2016.
Their last French top-flight title came in 1964.
Whitelock is not expected to make his debut until at least December 16’s Challenge Cup game with Welsh region the Dragons.
“The club’s been doing outstanding so if anything it’s increased the pressure,” the 2.02m (6.6ft) tall Whitelock said.
“I have to come here and perform.
“I have to add to the momentum that has been started,” he added.
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Latest Comments
Yeah nar I pretty much agree with that sentiment, wasn't just about the lineout though.
Yeah, I think it's the future of SR, even TRC. Graham above just now posting about how good a night it was with a dbl header of ENGvSA and NZvFrance, and now I don't want to kick SA or Argentina out of TRC but it would be great if in this next of the woods 2 more top teams could come in to create more of these sort of nights (for rugby's appeal). Often Arg and SA and both travel here and you get those games but more often doesn't work out right.
Obviously a long way off but USA and Japan are the obvious two. First thing we need to do is get Eddie Jones kicked out of Japan so they can start improving again and then get a couple of US teams in SRP (even if one its just a US based and augmented Jaguares).
It will start off the whole conferences are crap debate again (which I will continue to argue vehemently against), but imagine a 6 team Pacific conference, Tokyo Sunwolves (drafted from Tokyo JRLO teams), Tokyo All Stars (made up of best remaining foreign players and overseas drafts), ALL Nihon (best of local non Tokyo based talent, inc China/Korea etc, with mainland Japan), a could of West Coast american franchises and perhaps a second self PI driven Hawai'i based team, or Jagaures. So I see a short NFL like 3 or 4 month comp as fitting best, maybe not even a full round, NZvAUSvPAC, all games taking place within a 6hr window. Model for NZ will definitely still require a competitive and funded NPC!
On the Crusaders, I liked last years ending with Grace on the bench (ovbiously form dependent but thats how it ended) and Lio-Willie at 8. I could have Blackadder trying to be a 7 but think balance will be used with him at 6 and Kellow as 7. Scott Barrett is an international 6 sized player. It is just NZ style/model that pushes him into the tight, I reckon he'd be a great loose player, and saders have Strange and Cahill as bigger players (plus that change could draw someone like Darry back). Same with Haig now, hes not grown yet but Barrett hight and been playing 6, now that the Highlanders have only chosen two locks he'll be playing lock, and that is going to change his growth trajectory massively, rather than seeing him grow like an International 6.
Go to commentsDan Carter is the leading points scorer and leading points per game person for a player with significant tests. 2s RWC winner and member of the games greatest ever team. It's not even close. The only question of GOAT for rugby is whether McCaw deserves it given Carter's numbers.
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