OUT OF THIS WORLD
Devin Toner must deal with a dynamic duo who are...
THERE were unconfirmed reports of a UFO streaking across Irish skies last Friday morning; it may have just been the All Blacks’ stellar locking pairing of Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock.
They will start their 50th Test together against Ireland tonight, eclipsing the record set by the New Zealand second rowers Robin Brooke and Ian Jones.
And head coach Steve Hansen was feeling a bit other-worldly when describing his dynamic duo earlier this week.
‘Retallick is one from outer space and Sammy is not far behind him, quite often it gets missed how good Sam Whitelock is because of how good Brodie Retallick is,’ he said. Over to you, Devin Toner. The giant Leinster lock has been recalled to Ireland’s starting lineup to counter the twin threat of Retallick and Whitelock.
James Ryan has dealt with every challenge that has come his way at Test level since his debut against the US Eagles in New Jersey in the summer of 2017.
But Toner’s experience and lineout acumen will be vital against an All Blacks locking unit widely regarded as the best in the world.
‘Yeah, you look at Sam Whitelock and he’s got 107 caps and he’s only 30 years old,’ said the 6ft 10in Meath man.
‘It’s ridiculous. And to play at such a high level for so long. Retallick, I think there’s so much been said about him so far I can’t really add to it, to be honest.
‘He’s your all-rounder. He can score tries, he tackles, he poaches, he’s stealing lineouts, he’s winning lineouts.
‘Then Whitelock has a really good skill set, he’s great at restarts, they’re both great at restarts, so personally as a second row, to come up against the two of them, it’s huge for me in my career and hopefully we come out the other side of it.’
Retallick has revolutionised the role of a modern day lock. The Waikato Chiefs player became the first second row to be named World Player of the Year in 2014 and is currently in the running for Try of the Year following his audacious solo effort against the Wallabies in Sydney.
The 27-year-old has brilliant handling skills and will appear at first receiver almost as often as Beauden Barrett today, as well as adding his considerable bulk to the breakdown.
Retallick is very much the complete package and serves as the benchmark for Test locks.
‘Yeah, he’s making the rest of us look bad now,’ joked Toner.
‘No, he has. He’s you’re allrounder and he has kind of changed it to be honest.
‘He was a deserving winner of World Player of the Year there a couple of years ago and he’s just continued on.’
Brad Thorn taught Toner a thing or two during his oneseason spell at Leinster. The legendary All Black played a key role in the province’s second successive Heineken Cup victory in 2012.
And the teak-tough Canterbury native, who didn’t hang up his boots until the age of 41, left a lasting impression on a young Toner during that time.
‘The main thing was his work ethic. In the gym, on the pitch, he didn’t really take a break,’ he explained.
‘His mindset going into games, he talked about going to that dark place, that was one of the things he used to go on about.’
Time and again, Joe Schmidt has selected Toner in his matchday squads, going all the way back to the Kiwi’s early days at Leinster.
Across 61 Tests spanning Schmidt’s five years as Ireland coach, Toner has missed just five of those games.
‘It does give you confidence when you know the coach has confidence in you.
‘I’ve had a few big games under Joe and known him since he came over to Leinster, it gives you confidence to know he has that belief in you.’
The 32-year-old has been working with Schmidt for the best part of nine years, spanning provincial and Test duties, but Ireland’s head coach has lost none of that trademark intensity.
‘We have him in small batches now, so it’s not too bad,’ he said, with a grin. ‘We get our fill of him, then we get back to Leinster, so it’s not too bad.’
Between Toner, Schmidt and forwards coach Simon Easterby, Ireland will look to exploit any weaknesses in New Zealand’s set piece. The visitors conceded a first-half try at Twickenham as England’s forwards shunted their way over the whitewash with a powerful rolling maul.
Ireland scored 14 points from driving lineouts during that 40-29 victory in Chicago two years ago with Robbie Henshaw’s matchwinning try coming directly from a rock-solid scrum in the dying minutes.
‘There are weaknesses against every team, if you get a good driving maul,’ Toner explained.
‘Again, the All Blacks learned from that first drive. England tried that same maul three times in a row. For the third one, they tried to steal it.
‘They didn’t get over for the second or third. There are weaknesses in every team. It is just eight people on eight people. If you get the right drive, you get the right return.’
Tonight represents the ultimate challenge for Toner and his teammates. The All Blacks will be looking to set down a marker ahead of next year’s World Cup, a third straight title is the target for Hansen.
That brutal encounter in Dublin two weeks after the Soldier Field showdown will serve as a warning to the hosts. They know a storm is coming in the capital this evening ‘It is very exciting,’ Toner added. ‘There’s a lot of pressure on us as a pack to perform as well but it’s something that we hope we’re going to thrive on.’
Toner has been thriving on that pressure throughout his career.