Cooper hails rampaging Retallick
The last time Brodie Retallick can remember dotting down twice in one game?
‘‘Probably when I was about under-eights, and I was twice the size of every other kid.’’
Bless the poor souls who had to oppose the boy back then, though in some ways not much is different to the current day, where the big bruiser just keeps on making his huge presence felt.
And on Friday night in Hamilton the outstanding lock again showed why he’s considered one of the world’s best players, with a storming display in his team’s come-from-behind 41-28 Super Rugby win over the Bulls.
Winning lineouts, pushing in scrums, making tackles and cleaning rucks is enough for most second rowers, but Retallick’s class in plenty of other facets just continues to inspire.
Having already barged over the tryline late in the first half to give his team some hope, they still trailed 28-14 at the break, but there he was, the 26-year-old, 68-test All Black, early in the second spell with a gallop and offload to set the hosts alight. He’s a ball-playing midfielder in a 2.04m, 121kg costume.
Then came that moment that brought the 12,451 at FMG Stadium Waikato to their feet – the 56th minute stunning solo try where Retallick received the ball about 30 metres from the line and surged his way through the Bulls’ defence, dummying, sidestepping and then reaching out in the tackle to score.
‘‘It was probably 55 [metres] if you ask me,’’ he quipped.
‘‘Yeah, there was no chance I was passing that one. It was either make or break so . . .’’
This was a man even coming in a little cold, having been invalided out of the Blues game after a poke in the eye at training, then with his team having the bye. And coach Colin Cooper knows just how mountainous Retallick’s presence is for his side.
‘‘He was just outstanding, you can see why the Chiefs and the All Blacks, New Zealand Rugby are working so hard not to just keep him in the country but to manage him,’’ he said.
‘‘So we’re really taking no risks with him, make sure we’re managing him, because that’s the sort of performance you get from him.’’
Aside from Retallick’s on-field inspirations, Cooper acknowledged his contribution in the changing room, too, where the team’s leaders were able to regroup the crew and pave the way for a remarkable 27-0 second-half effort.
‘‘That’s the Sam Canes, the Brodies, the Liam Messams, we’ve got some real experience there that keeps us calm, keeps us controlled,’’ Cooper said. ‘‘And the coaching staff’s very experienced, so we’ve just got to lead from the front. It’s no good panicking, it was no good firing shots in there, it was believing in what we can do.’’
Cooper said the Chiefs’ defence in the first spell was ‘‘honeypotting’’ too much because they wanted to bring linespeed, that they were taking the Bulls’ revitalised skill sets too lightly, and they had to spread better. And Retallick said on attack there was also a need to build pressure through good hard carries up the middle, and find space from that.
‘‘Just what we were doing probably wasn’t right for the pictures that we were presented,’’ Retallick said. ‘‘So we talked about it, and it’s always great when you talk about something and go out and do it and get a response.
‘‘But hopefully in the future we do get it right and we don’t have to come from that far behind, and we can be a bit more clinical.’’
The way the Chiefs have had to face up to adversity and somehow find a way to win, early in the competition, will build belief going forward, with the Sunwolves next up, in Tokyo on Saturday.
‘‘It’s a lot easier getting on the plane with a win,’’ Retallick said. ‘‘Everyone’s pretty excited to head to Japan, it’s kind of unknown for the Chiefs, so we’re looking forward to getting up there and experience a bit of the culture and play them.’’