Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick will go down as arguably the greatest second-row pairing in the history of Test rugby when they hang up their boots.
And if they get their way, there will be a few more fishing trips each year.
“We catch up a little bit … there’s a few quiet ones in there, too,” Whitelock told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald before Thursday night’s opening Bledisloe Cup match.
“We both don’t mind getting into the outdoors and getting away from rugby a bit and catching up.”
Whitelock, New Zealand’s second most capped player in history, and Retallick, who will feature in his 97th Test this week, have been synonymous with All Blacks success for more than a decade.
World Cup winners in 2015, they’ve never known life without the Bledisloe Cup. It’s a bond as tight off the field as it is on it.
Brodie Retallick (left) and Samuel Whitelock (centre) taking on the Wallabies last year.Credit:Getty
“There’s been a lot of people that have come and gone in the 10 years that I’ve been here,” Retallick said. “So for him [Whitelock] to be here 13 years, you can’t take for granted how much work goes into that.”
Whitelock turns his head, from the back of the Ineos Grenadier car he’s riding in with Retallick, and smiles in approval.
“Thanks mate, I’ll give you that 100 bucks later,” Whitelock said.
It was 13 years ago when Whitelock first ran out against the Wallabies, at the same venue for this week’s clash in Melbourne. The All Blacks romped in, crushing Australia 49-28 as Whitelock starred off the bench.
“It was a wee while ago now,” said Whitelock, who sports a grey beard. “I just remember being so excited and hearing about the Bledisloe history and playing Australia.
“I wanted to add my part. Big brother, little brother … we just love getting out there and testing ourselves against the Aussies.”
Two years later, along came a bloke named Brodie who was two centimetres taller.
“He changed the way locks played the game internationally,” Whitelock said. “He’s a big ball-carrying lock with a lot of skill and aggression and accuracy. That’s something I admire about Brodie.”
Retallick says he relishes all kinds of battles with the Wallabies. Mental, physical, you name it.
There’s a chuckle when asked if there’s niggle during these Wallabies matches.
“There’s a fair bit that goes on out there,” Retallick said. “I enjoy the chipping of each other and the banter. Sometimes it’s a bit of a mental game, too. You let someone know when you’re on top and vice versa. I think it’s a good thing. They’ve always been heated battles.”
For all their accolades and achievements in the game, this might be the pair’s toughest period. The All Blacks have lost six of their past nine Tests, putting the team under enormous heat.
“At times it’s been full on, particularly the last couple of months,” Retallick said. “You take the good with the bad.”
How does Whitelock, the most senior figure in the side, deal with the criticism?
“It’s just a great thing that New Zealanders do care about how we’re performing,” Whitelock said.
Hooker Codie Taylor, who has been dropped, agrees with Whitelock. He says it comes with the territory.
“When the history of the All Blacks has been so successful, and then you get a few hiccups like we’ve had this year, you notice it a bit,” Taylor said. “Fans care about us as a team. We don’t go out there to perform the way we have. It’s the reality.”
For now, there’s a job to do: beat the Wallabies on Thursday at Marvel Stadium and the Bledisloe remains in Kiwi hands for another year.
By the time the Rugby World Cup rolls around next year, Whitelock may have eclipsed Richie McCaw’s record for most All Blacks appearances (148).
“Hopefully, I’ve got a little bit of time before I hang up the boots,” Whitelock said. “And when I do, I’m looking forward to getting to the farm in Hawke’s Bay and spending a bit of time there.”
