Rugby: Why are Sam Whitelock’s All Blacks days numbered?

By Ben Smith of RugbyPass.com

With Sam Cane’s announcement as the next All Blacks captain, the sun is slowly setting in Sam Whitelock’s international career.

Many tipped Whitelock to succeed Kieran Read, and with 117 tests to his credit, it was a short-chance choice.

But, by going with the younger Cane, the All Blacks have opted for a long-term option. Whitelock will be 34 in 2023, the year France hosts the next World Cup.

He has been mostly “untouchable” during Hansen’s reign as a coach, part of the leadership group and vice captain.

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However, Whitelock’s on-field form at the highest level in the past two seasons has not been at the same level shown earlier in his career.

While this is not a death sentence, reputation can only guarantee selection for that long.

In the 2018 loss to Ireland in Dublin, Whitelock’s energy, among a few others dressed in black, was noticeably absent as she operated on tired legs to beat the intense final game of the season. Another striker who ran out of gas that night, Karl Tu’inukuafe, has not played since the last test of that season.

The defeat in the 2019 World Cup semifinal against England highlighted the shortcomings of the senior statesmen All Black.

The pack was dominated in the front, losing lineout ball, turnovers and uneven run by a younger English cohort.

Scott Barrett became the scapegoat for a ‘stacked’ lineout who failed to generate a return and was substituted at halftime.

The tape, however, shows many culprits at the time of the lineout. Whitelock was one of them, unable to read and react fast enough to perform lifts to compete with the English jumpers.

While England ran many slips and “jump fakes” used to bluff twice before hitting the third option, there were other, simpler lineout calls that simply beat the All Blacks.

Whitelock’s first two goals on the All Blacks ball resulted in turnovers, a looted deck and a stolen shot from Itoje.

There were communication problems between all the key men in the All Black lineout as they struggled to figure out what England was throwing at them. It was a forgettable performance that everyone will want to leave behind.

At first glance, the inclusion of Scott Barrett in the starting lineup forced Cane to the bench. But in reality, Barrett is a first athletic block and a loose second forward.

The tradeoff was really Whitelock for Cane, as Barrett could have played an initial blocking role to give the All Blacks more athleticism in the park.

In the back row, both Ardie Savea and Cane could have played about 80 minutes with Matt Todd available as a replacement.

Hansen did not partially blame Barrett at the post-game press conference, but did not completely acquit him either.

“Scott came out and played the best he could. We wanted to win more lineout ball? Yes, we did. But we didn’t. It takes more than one person to do it,” he said.

It was Barrett who chased wing Jonny May, one of the fastest players on the England team running 100m to 10.7s, to save seven points.

It was Barrett who triggered a line jump from Brodie Retallick with a pick-and-go and discharge around the ruck inside the territory of the All Blacks.

Barrett was positive on the net for 40 minutes, while Whitelock was negative on the net over 80, including giving away key penalties for hitting Owen Farrell with a pat from Bruce Lee and taking Ben Youngs off the ball.

Romanticism and being sentimental is not what builds long-term greatness in professional sports teams. Richie McCaw and Dan Carter were able to get a fairy tale ending, but that won’t always happen.

At the age of 30, Whitelock’s contract with New Zealand Rugby was extended into a four-year agreement with very favorable terms, which he himself admitted that if he did not receive he was ready to leave test rugby and play in Japan. .

“I thought we were going to go to Japan and not go back to New Zealand,” he said.

It seems like he was already mentally prepared to leave everything behind. NZR touted it as a “big hit”, while Whitelock spoke admirably about the exit clause.

“That’s [exit clause] “One of the key things that turned it around,” he explained.

Passing the international game is already on his mind.

Whitelock has nothing to achieve or demonstrate, he is a test centurion, two-time World Cup winner and three-time Super Rugby champion, with numerous Bledisloe Cups and Rugby Championships.

He will fall as one of the best locks of all time, and few that can match his accomplishments.

But once you return to the All Black environment, you must be selected in future form or potential, not in past achievements, like any other player. He is not in the development stage, which means he should only be fit.

It does not generate win line carries or downloads like Retallick, nor does it make skillful passes on the line like Barrett.

On tired limbs, he no longer eats space off the line and does not crush ball carriers with a dominant defense.

He tackles usefully, yes, but defense is more than completing completion. Their spatial coverage is less than that of Barrett and the Springboks and England have advanced beyond the All Blacks in terms of physique.

He can still hit rucks using his great body to clean up and execute a lineout, but if other options offer more and are here for the long haul, maybe that’s where Foster should go.

If Whitelock’s leadership and intangible presence are invaluable, a mentoring role within the team would be appropriate, but an initial role cannot be offered without the supporting form.

Maybe a light season in the Top League will see Whitelock get a second boost in his career, but there are younger blocks like Quinten Strange and Pari Pari Parkinson that will soon be looking for trial caps. Scott Barrett and Brodie Retallick are at their best now.

Do the All Blacks sacrifice the future to squeeze more of Whitelock? The odds are simply against him making it to the next World Cup, and coaches shouldn’t give him a free ride to the detriment of the team.

The All Blacks have lived with the mantra that no one is bigger than the team for a long time, and many talented players have moved in a year too soon instead of a year too late.

What happens to Sam Whitelock will test whether that still holds.

This article first appeared on RugbyPass.com and has been republished with permission.