Whitelock recalls 2011 World Cup mania among fans

All Black Sam Whitelock didn’t understand what a big deal a World Cup could be until he was trapped in his hotel room.

This story starts in 2011, when Whitelock, then just 22 years old and a second-year test player, was selected in the All Blacks squad for the tournament held in New Zealand.

As he candidly admits, he was just happy to be there.

Then he took a look outside of his hotel window in central Auckland ahead of the All Blacks’ first pool game against Tonga at Eden Park.

In the space of a heartbeat, Whitelock suddenly gained an insight into what it must be like to be a rock star.

‘‘I just remember before the opening game, Ben Franks and I were room-mates,’’ said 112-test lock Whitelock, who will be a key component of the All Blacks’ forward pack for the first World Cup pool game against the Springboks in Yokohama on Saturday night.

‘‘We just didn’t go out of the hotel, because there were so many people around. The buzz of the whole tournament was just amazing.

‘‘You couldn’t go anywhere. That was something that sunk in for myself. I realised that World Cups are different.’’ He also played a key role in the All Blacks winning the Webb Ellis Cup for the Sam Whitelock first time since 1987, playing in the 8-7 win over France in the final at Eden Park.

It didn’t take the New Zealanders long before they discovered just how popular the All Blacks are in Japan, following their arrival in the country about a week ago. Fans have lined up for autographs in pre-tournament outings, and once it kicks off there’s every chance their number will grow.

Whitelock is chasing his third World Cup winners’ medal – as are captain Kieran Read and Sonny Bill Williams – and was emphatic nothing will be taken for granted.

In fact, he said that when he was younger he wasn’t able to grasp just what it meant to some New Zealanders, and those All Blacks players who had been in sides that had nosedived out of previous tournaments.

‘‘I think the longer you are around, the more aware of it you are,’’ Whitelock stated.

‘‘In 2011 I didn’t understand what a World Cup was. I didn’t understand the pressure. I was just excited to be in the squad.’’

In 2007, when the All Blacks were knocked out by France in the quarterfinal in Cardiff, a teenage Whitelock was in Australia.

A look at the local paper after the defeat reinforced to him that an All Blacks’ failure was also a big deal across the Tasman.

‘‘In 2007 I was living in Australia, and I remember Australia were knocked out first and the All Blacks were knocked out after.

‘‘And the headline of the papers in Australia was ‘All Blacks Gone’.’’