The Whitelock brick wall
It’s hard to think of a pair of shoulders you’d like to run into less than those belonging to Highlanders No 8 Luke Whitelock.
When Whitelock hits players, they stay hit – frequently travelling back metres in the opposite direction.
Now, the six-test All Black has revealed the inspirations for his weekly impersonations of a brick wall – the hard-nosed attitude of former Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph and the coaching of Scott McLeod, formerly of the Highlanders and now at the All Blacks.
‘‘I remember Jamie [Joseph] being, ‘Yep, we’ll take you’ and he’s a no nonsense sort of guy,’’ Whitelock said about his move to the Highlanders from the Crusaders in 2016.
‘‘I came down down pretty open minded and changed the way I played.
‘‘They were very clear with what they wanted out of people playing certain positions.’’
For the Highlanders, whose recent success has been built on hard work and hard shoulders, that meant one thing: defence.
‘‘Defensively it was a big change,’’ Whitelock said.
‘‘Initially Scott McLeod was really good with that and helping me by making things really simple and trying not to think about everything but do one thing really well and then go from there.’’
It’s an approach that has paid off for the Highlanders and Whitelock.
While there are more athletic No 8s in the competition there are few who can tackle like Whitelock.
In fact, Whitelock’s style is the still the closest thing New Zealand has to the 2019 version of Kieran Read, with his huge tackles in the middle of the park.
That’s one of the reasons why Whitelock will rarely be the odd man out in the stacked Highlanders back row this year.
‘‘With Ben [Smith[ and Luke they’re both going to have high minutes, high involvement on the field and both very influential in their own right,’’ Highlanders head coach Aaron Mauger said of his co-captains for 2019.
That means Liam Squire might have to twist Mauger’s arm a bit harder if he wants to have a run in the No 8 jersey, as he has said he would.
It also means that Whitelock is going to have a platform in Super Rugby to push his All Blacks claims, which must be in the back of all players’ minds this year.
In the meantime, Whitelock wants to lead the Highlanders by example.
‘‘Ultimately you’ve got to play well, that’s the best way to lead,’’ he said.
‘‘This competition comes down to one or two key moments, through the year or in a game.
‘‘At times [last year] we played
Shaun Stevenson, Bailyn Sullivan, Tumua Manu, Anton Lienert-Brown, Etene NanaiSeturo, Orbyn Leger, Brad Weber, Tyler Ardron, Lachlan Boshier, Mitchell Brown, Michael Allardice, Brodie Retallick (c), Angus Ta’avao, Nathan Harris, Atu Moli. Reserves: Samisoni Taukei’aho, Aidan Ross, Nepo Laulala, Taleni Seu, Jesse Parete, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Stephen Donald, Ataata Moeakiola.
Chiefs:
Ben Smith (co-c), Matt Faddes, Rob Thompson, Thomas Umaga-Jensen, Tevita Li, Josh Ioane, Kayne Hammington, Luke Whitelock (co-c), James Lentjes, Jackson Hemopo, Josh Dickson, Pari Pari Parkinson, Tyrel Lomax, Liam Coltman, Ayden Johnstone. Reserves: Ash Dixon, Daniel Lienert-Brown, Siate Tokolahi, Shannon Frizell, Dillon Hunt, Aaron Smith, Bryn Gatland, Patelesio Tomkinson.
Highlanders:
really, really well and that showed [but] one or two games can be the difference between having to travel [in the finals]. ‘‘It’s about being consistent.’’ It’s also about being well led on the field, and Whitelock is no doubt that new Highlanders No 10 Josh Ioane is up to the job.
‘‘That No 10 role does have a lot of comms with the team and he’s been doing that really well in the pre-season and he’s been making it really clear for the guys up front,’’ Whitelock said.