Sam Whitelock: ‘If I’m playing good, it’s pretty easy to lead’
The new skipper tells Marc Hinton it’s vital the ABs get away to a strong start in what shapes as a tough 15-test campaign in 2021.
Even after nearly 12 years and 122 tests, striding into the All Blacks camp to begin another international campaign never gets old for Sam Whitelock.
It’s why when his coach needed a stand-in skipper to fill the breach, he took about a second to decide on his bearded lock, who has bad games about as often as Halley’s Comet appears in our sky.
‘‘He’s an outstanding All Black and has been a key part of our leadership group for a long time,’’ said head coach Ian Foster of the second captain of his tenure, who assumes the duty in Sam Cane’s extended absence through injury.
‘‘He knows the team, he knows where we’re going . . . I’ve got a lot of faith in Sam, and he links well with the leadership group.’’
Whitelock took the promotion the way he has most things throughout his outstanding rugby career, which has included two World Cup triumphs and five straight Super Rugby titles — including the last two Aotearoa crowns on the bounce – with a minimum of fuss.
He was informed two weeks ahead of last Monday’s squad announcement and was so intent on keeping it on the down-low, he did not even let his own parents in on the secret. ‘‘They rang, asking ‘have I heard anything?’, then rang my wife Hannah and asked her ... sorry to do that Mum and Dad, but it’s nice they found out with everyone else,’’ said the 32-year-old, who made his test debut in 2010.
Truth is Whitelock simply does not like to make a big thing of these matters. He’s a serious practitioner of all things rugby, and not one to buy into the hype or fanfare around what he does. It’s one of the reasons he’s been chosen for the job – All Blacks do not come much more unassuming than this bloke.
He says he’s always trying to evolve his leadership and understands it’s often about deciding between ‘‘the carrot or the stick’’ to get the best out of people off the field. On it the formula is simple: ‘‘If I’m playing good rugby, it’s pretty easy to lead.’’
And he’s pumped for campaign number 12 on the trot (he has played an average of 11 tests a year), seldom marked missing for injury or personal reasons.
‘‘The body is really good,’’ he tells Sunday Star-Times ahead of the three-day camp in south Auckland. ‘‘I had a couple of games off this year which you never like at the time, but means somebody higher up is looking after you. I feel good and can’t wait to get into it. I had an extra week off than I was planning, but took that time to re-set and do a bit of training.’’
Yes, he watched last Saturday’s Trans-Tasman final. He hadn’t intended to, but found himself drawn to it, even if he had to fight the frustrations. ‘‘A couple of times I had to pause it, walk away and do the dishes. There was a little bit of wanting to be there . . . but it was quite nice watching it, and I actually found myself stopping it and having a look at some things again.’’
His appraisal? ‘‘Both teams went in wanting to use their strengths. That’s what the Blues did — they knew their strengths were up front and that was probably what got them home in the end.’’
While many see the tests against Tonga (July 3, Auckland) and Fiji (July 10 and 17, Dunedin and Hamilton respectively) as very much a loosener ahead of the Bledisloes and
Rugby Championship that follow, Whitelock does not subscribe to that theory.
‘‘It’s massive,’’ he says of the Pasifika festival. ‘‘We’ve got potentially 15 test matches after last year having only six. We’ve got to play really well. We have four new guys, plus George Bower who hasn’t been capped yet, and getting them comfortable and showing them what’s expected as All Blacks is important. The experienced guys have to come in and play great rugby. These first three tests will set up the whole year.’’
Whitelock takes the process of assimilating the new guys very seriously. Everyone in this squad has talent, but they can only truly
express it if they feel comfortable in the environment.
‘‘The longer you’re around, the more important it is you go start those conversations,’’ he says. ‘‘Dane Coles can be a bit niggly on the field, as we all know and love. It’s a lot nicer playing with him than against him. He’s really good at those conversations, and when someone like him starts talking to those young guys, breaking the ice and finding what makes them tick, the sooner you get that natural connection.
‘‘Then all of a sudden everything else becomes easy. You normally get that on the field pretty easily, but the off-field connection can be hard to make.’’
Whitelock is pumped about some of those new and returning younger types who he already has a connection with.
He likes what Bower has done at the Crusaders, stepping in as starting loosehead prop when Joe
‘‘The Pasifika festival is massive. The experienced guys have to come in and play great rugby. These first three tests will set up the whole year.’’ Sam Whitelock
Moody went down with that serious toe injury. ‘‘He’s done it his way, hasn’t tried to play like Joe or anyone else. He’s used his strengths well. He’s very quick and uses that to get to the breakdown or into space. It’s pretty cool where he is at.’’
Whitelock has also been blown away by the improvement of loose forward Ethan Blackadder, one of four new faces in the squad. ‘‘He’s always had a massive work ethic, that’s in the family as we all know. But what’s impressed me is he’s added things to his game, and has that finesse now with an offload or a little touch.’’
Then there’s been David Havili, who last played for the All Blacks in 2017, but is back because he’s been basically indispensable for the Crusaders and Foster has a hole in his midfield that needs plugging.
‘‘He’s played 10, 12, centre, both wings and fullback for the Crusaders, so the standing joke is he wants to put a ball into the scrum so he can say he’s done the whole backline. He’s played 12 all year and made it his own . . .’’
Whitelock won’t hear a peep about July being a cakewalk.
‘‘It’s different, and because it’s different it’s challenging.
‘‘Tonga haven’t been together for a long time, so there’s not a lot of footage on them, and that means we can’t do a normal test match preparation. It’s similar with Fiji. It’s different, and that’s what excites me . . .’’