Whitelock wants to avoid double defeat
grandparents were Irish and the couple headed to County Meath in 1999, ‘Smiley’ working as a farm manager for 18 months.
Kane, Beauden and Scott turned up for their first day in school in, as many children still do in New Zealand, in bare feet.
“They got some looks, but that’s what we do. They were sloshing around in the snow, it was quite funny,” recalled ‘Smiley’.
Beauden and Kane played Gaelic football with it being credited as a prime reason for the former perfecting the art of the kick-pass into the hands of wide men when he returned to rugby.
If the family had remained in Ireland the boys would have qualified for the men in green on residency grounds. But they went back to New Zealand in 2001.
So, Ireland’s loss became the All Blacks’ gain... SAM Whitelock doesn’t want to join his grandfather George Nelson Dalzell in infamy when New Zealand face Wales at the Principality Stadium on Saturday.
For Dalzell packed down at lock in the last All Blacks team to be beaten by the men in red, 13-8 at Cardiff Arms Park in December 1953.
Current world champions New Zealand will bid to extend their winning streak over Wales to 32 when they face Warren Gatland’s team and are odds-on favourite to maintain the stranglehold.
Asked if the All Blacks have a “mental edge” over Wales, lock colossus Whitelock grinned: “It’s funny you bring up that game.
“My grandfather played for the All Blacks that day when they lost. It is one of those things.”
Brian Fitzpatrick, the father of legendary New Zealand captain Sean Fitzpatrick, was also in the team that slipped to defeat after Wales flanker Clem Thomas put in a cross-kick for Olympic sprint relay medallist Ken Jones to pounce for the killer score.
Only one of the Wales team that became heroes – prop Courtney Meredith, who is now 91 – is still alive.
Whitelock said his family hadn’t “really talked” about that match, saying: “History is history, you can’t change it once it has happened.”
Questioned whether results since then against Wales put more pressure on the All Blacks not to lose their record against Wales, he replied: “We are always looking forward to the next game... we are aware of it but don’t put time or energy thinking about it.
“You don’t have time to sit back and think about those things. I don’t think anyone playing Test match rugby wants to go out and not win.”
Whitelock is looking forward to another battle with Wales skipper Alun Wyn Jones, saying: “He is a typical competitor, loves getting out there and playing in a hard, physical style.
“That is the awesome thing about rugby, you can go out and have a great Test match, have a beer and catch up. I am lucky to have played against him a few times so will definitely have a yarn after the game. It is always good to have a catch up.”