Retallick ‘fittest he’s ever been’ after Japan stint
A valuable piece of 117kg cargo is heading back to the All Blacks in late May and by all reports it is in impeccable condition.
Brodie Retallick, currently of Kobelco Steelers in the Top League but soon to be in black again, is feeling good.
In fact, the lock is ‘‘the fittest he’s ever been’’ as he comes to the end of a two-season deal that, due to Covid-19, saw him getting a proper six-month break as well as a crucial two- or three month pre-season in Japan.
‘‘I’ve come to Japan for a change of scenery, to do something different, a whole lot of reasons,’’ Retallick said from Japan. ‘‘And one of them was to have a break between the two seasons that’s a bit longer than Super Rugby.
‘‘Having a Covid one [break] that made it longer than normal, and then having a decent preseason...we came up here and had a two and half, three month preseason.
‘‘In terms of testing it’s the fittest I’ve even been. It’s one thing I won’t take for granted, how good a break is on the back of a decent pre-season leading into some games of rugby.
‘‘The body is in great shape, and mentally I’m in a good spot.‘‘
His playing weight – revealed at 117kg by Kobe director of rugby Wayne Smith a few months ago – reflects the style of game he has been enjoying in Japan.
Kobe’s attacking blueprint permits him to range wider, show off his skills and express himself. It’s a different style of rugby than Super Rugby Aotearoa: less of the dirty work in tight trying to remove 130kg props from the ruck; less of hungry young bulls such as the Highlanders’ 130kg Pari Pari Parkinson trying to smash him to prove their own credentials.
Life has been different, too. There has been more time with his young family, and getting off the brutal treadmill of New Zealand rugby has clearly agreed with him.
‘‘The time I’ve got to spend with his kids and experience a different culture is something I won’t regret,’’ he said.
But he also knows that is coming to an end, and while the body is feeling good Retallick is under no illusions about the ‘‘challenge’’ that awaits him. Being fit s one thing, but now Retallick must find the controlled aggression that locks need to thrive in the big dog eats big dog world of test rugby.
‘‘That’s the challenge,’’ Retallick said. ‘‘It’s something that I had to understand when I came over here.
‘‘I can’t give you a timeline [on how long it will take to adapt]. I’m not sure. Obviously you’ll know about it after a game.
‘‘[But] in terms of in the moment I think physicality is a mindset, more than physical strength or ability. I guess if the mid is hungry it shouldn’t be a problem, it might just take the body a while to adjust.
‘‘But that’s one of the challenge that’s in front of me as tight forward going back . . . but hopefully I can adjust quickly and that’ll be the challenge.’’
There will be no Trans-Tasman Super Rugby for Retallick. As much as the Chiefs would love to have him, the timeline is too tight.
‘‘I won’t be back to play any part in Super Rugby this year,’’ he said. ‘‘The final for the Top League is
scheduled for May 22, and then with quarantine spots getting back to New Zealand isn’t too easy. I won’t be arriving back in New Zealand until about May 31, and then obviously having to quarantine for two weeks.’’
Instead, Retallick will all but certainly be named in the first All Blacks squad of the year and then managed back into the 23-man squad. That process might take longer for him as a tight five forward than someone such as Beauden Barrett, who should be able to slip into the backline with relative ease.
But Retallick will not lack for motivation. He acknowledges that the series draw against the British and Irish Lions still gnaws at him, while he ruefully now accepts that his injury-affected preparation for the 2019 Rugby World Cup wasn’t ideal (‘‘I think in terms of physically, I was pretty fit [in 2019] ... But I think that in hindsight I obviously wanted to put my best foot forward, but I maybe lacked a bit of game time.’’)
Those twin disappointments, and the competitive race for locking positions in New Zealand, should be enough to put the fire in Retallick’s belly.
But the time in Japan has given Retallick the chance to reflect and refresh. For the 2014 World Rugby player of the year, it’s been the platform that will launch him towards the 2023 Rugby World Cup.