Retallick may return to Chiefs for next season
Brodie Retallick could be available for the Chiefs once he returns to New Zealand from Japan next May.
The talismanic All Black joined the Kobelco Steelers after last year’s Rugby World Cup but is due back home once his second season in Japan’s Top League ends.
Interim Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan said a decision on the 81-test lock’s involvement in 2021 would be made closer to his return.
The Super Rugby Aotearoa final will be in the second weekend of May, a week before the trans-Tasman Super Rugby competition, which runs from May 14-June 19.
The Chiefs revealed their 2021 squad yesterday but named just 37 players of their allotted 38, freeing up space for Retallick, who has been a colossus for the Chiefs and the All Blacks since 2012.
‘‘I think he’s due back around May but no absolute decision has been made around his involvement,’’
McMillan said, speaking at his first official engagement as Chiefs coach, with Warren Gatland on his one-year sabbatical with the British and Irish Lions.
‘‘I’m guessing it will be a conversation we have closer to the time and [subject] to what sort of condition he’s in.
‘‘He’s obviously an important player for New Zealand Rugby and the Chiefs. As with all our players, we’ll do what’s in the best interests of each player.’’
The timing of his return could coincide with the first squad gathering for the All Blacks next year, although no test schedule has been confirmed yet.
The All Blacks missed Retallick’s presence in their pack during a rocky test season under first-year coach Ian Foster, as did the Chiefs throughout their troubled campaign, and his comeback will be rejoiced by coaches, team-mates and fans alike.
The Chiefs’ locks, while talented, are vastly inexperienced at Super Rugby level. Naitoa Ah Kuoi and Taranaki newcomer Josh Lord are both 21, Laghlan McWhannell is 22, and rookie All Black Tupou Vaa’i is 20.
Retallick, 29, would be a welcome addition. His last Chiefs appearance was their quarterfinal defeat against the Jaguares in Buenos Aires in June 2019.
McMillan, who is in Hamilton this week as Ma¯ori All Blacks coach for tomorrow’s clash against Moana Pasifika, also confirmed his Chiefs coaching staff for next season: Roger Randle, David Hill, Neil Barnes and Nick White.
The Chiefs will start pre-season on January 7, two months before their opening match against the Highlanders at home on March 5.