Refreshed Whitelock raring to provide ‘edge and energy’
Sam Whitelock is locked and loaded. For the second time this year he’s been given some extra home time mid-All Blacks campaign, and as far as he’s concerned it’s payback time.
Whitelock was part of the sixstrong group of mostly family men who came in six days after the main part of Steve Hansen’s squad for this northern tour. The idea was to give the experienced campaigners a few extra days at home, rather than have them going through the motions for a Barbarians fixture they were never going to be required for.
It is the second time this season that Whitelock has been afforded that luxury. He was also part of the group spared the Rugby Championship test against Argentina in Buenos Aires, and flew directly to South Africa to join the squad for the second part of the gruelling road double.
‘‘It was good to get some really good training in and also be lucky enough to spend some time with our families,’’ he said in Paris as preparations started for the first test of this tour against France.
‘‘We got what we needed out of it. Now hopefully the guys who rejoined the group can really bring that edge and energy that was created from it.’’
That’s the plan.
It is Hansen being smart about the workload he asks of his players, especially the older ones who log big minutes in the major tests. Inevitably they’re family men, too, and any extra time at home is hugely appreciated.
By keeping as many of them as fresh as possible, instead of falling PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
over the line in November, they have the chance to round out the test year on a positive note.
It’s Hansen’s little bit for player welfare, and team staying power. His All Blacks are being asked to play from February to the end of November, and the travel and physicality of the modern game combine to take an exacting toll.
‘‘It’s well documented we travel round the world twice in the last nine weeks, play seven tests and two non-tests, and we’ve got about 10 or 11 time-changes. We’ve tried to split the travel up for a couple of the games, so the guys are fresh and excited about this tour,’’ he said.
‘‘They know they’ve got a job on their hands.
‘‘We haven’t been as consistent as we would like to be. So it’s about building some consistency into our performances. The big boys will be back on the track this week and it’s a big test.’’
If it was up to Whitelock he would be there for every training session and every game. That’s just the type of bloke the 28-yearold, 93-test lock is. He hates to think he needs to be ‘‘managed’’ through a campaign.
‘‘It’s very hard,’’ he adds. ‘‘I love to play and always want to be involved. Sometimes you’re told you’ve got to take some time out, and the older I’ve got, the more I understand it’s not just about the next week, it’s about the whole season.’’
It’s a big week for Whitelock. With regular sidekick Brodie Retallick not on this tour, he must lead the way for whichever partners Hansen sends his way from the group of Scott Barrett, Luke Romano and Patrick Tuipulotu.