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‘He’s a big man’: Brodie Retallick’s verdict on rising star Josh Lord
Towards the end of the All Blacks’ first on-field training session in Mendoza on Tuesday, Brodie Retallick and Josh Lord were both put through their paces before getting back on the team bus.
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Without doing anything too strenuous, much like the rest of the team, the pair both engaged in last-minute drills that focused on hand-eye coordination.
Lord was seen catching tennis balls towards the end of training, while Retallick was tasked with a similar challenge – but one that is much simpler for an All Black. Retallick was catching a rugby ball.
Just a few minutes earlier, Retallick was working tirelessly with a series of shuttle runs alongside All Blacks captain Sam Cane.
With the scorching sun bearing down on the All Blacks at Marista Rugby Club, the Chiefs duo of Retallick and Lord continued to hone their craft ahead of the team’s first Test match of 2023.
The pair are at different stages of their rugby careers – polar opposites in that sense really – but were share the desire to get better. It’s what the legacy of the All Blacks requires.
After the training session, veteran Retallick couldn’t have spoken more highly of two-Test All Black Lord.
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“He’s a great player and he’s a big man – he’s the tallest one out of all of us. He’s probably the heaviest as well,” Retallick told reporters in Mendoza on Tuesday.
“He’s got a great skillset for a big man and (he’s) fast. He’s had a bit of a bad run, an unlucky run probably with a few injuries as of late.
“I’m sure that when he gets the opportunity, he’s going to impose himself out there.”
At just 22 years of age, Lord has already made his mark in the black jersey with a couple of appearances back in 2021.
After making his Test debut against the United States in Washington, Lord – who is the fifth tallest player in All Blacks history – donned the famous jersey again against Italy.
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But as Retallick alluded to, injuries have stopped the rising star from entering the fray of international rugby again.
Lord missed a majority of this year’s Super Rugby Pacific campaign with the Chiefs, but returned from an 11 month stint on the sidelines with a handful of rounds left in the regular season.
The second rower made a steady return to professional rugby, and didn’t really dominate at any stage – but the All Blacks selectors like him, that much is clear.
Lord was selected in the 36-man squad for The Rugby Championship, and could potentially line up for New Zealand against Los Pumas this weekend.
Before the Super Rugby Pacific Final defeat to the champion Crusaders, Lord told RugbyPass that he was eager to learn “as much as I can from” All Blacks greats Retallick and Sam Whitelock.
“I guess I’m just pretty excited to be back in there in the mix, playing with the best team in the world,” Lord said.
“I guess it’s always going to be pretty special when you’ve got the likes of Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock to learn a bit from them.
“I think this is going to be their last year in the All Blacks so I’m just going to take as much as I can from them and take it with me for the rest of my career.”
The All Blacks play Argentina in Mendoza at 7.10 am NZST on Sunday morning.
Comments on RugbyPass
Good riddance
1 Go to commentswel the crusaders were beaten by a queensland reds side that hadnt beaten them at home since 1999 and queensland reds partied like it was 1999
4 Go to commentsHard to disagree with the 5 points - with the exception that Wilson should be a squad member but, depending on the other loose forward selections, is not yet a shoo-in. McReight is. Aussie is looking a lot better this year and JS has some selection options. Also, Havili’s tendency to get caught, charged down is also a liability at times but he seemed focused (mostly) and is definitely a consideration for utility back-up. Still feel Reihana is a better prospect at 1st five for Saders.
4 Go to commentsYeah nah, still not sure on Havili tbh. Even though I’m a Crusaders fan through and through I’d be stunned if Razor considers him after seeing some of the stunning talent coming through up North.
4 Go to commentsThink it was a great defensive performance by Northampton. They didn't have stage fright in the first half, the Nienaber defense smothered them. They limited Leinster to 15-3 in the first half. It could have been over by then. A great try from Leinster in the start of the second half looked to have sealed it. But Byrne missed another conversion. Northampton started trying little kicks behind the Leinster wingers. Leinster messed one and Smith brilliantly made the conversion. Leinster decided to tighten the game after Byrne missed a straight forward penalty. A few errors got NH into the 22 and they scored and converted with a few minutes left. Another brilliant steal from Lawes saw NH have a final attack which was turned over by Conan. A classic semi final. World record attendance of 82,300. Leinsters 3 week preparation warranted for this one.
1 Go to commentsJust came back from the game and the atmosphere was amazing. Players stayed afterwards for more than a hour to sign stuff and take photos with fans. Great day out.
5 Go to commentsA great game. The Sharks without Etsebeth are a shadow of the team compared to when he plays. The limitations of Some of the expensive Sharks players are being exposed. Credit to Clermont for some exhilaration play at times.
5 Go to comments100% Mr Owens. But who would want to be a referee.? It must be the most difficult job on earth.
1 Go to commentsStarts to be overdone and oversold this systematic SA narrative…which nevertheless has the merit in this case to recognise blatant refereeing mistakes in their favor
5 Go to commentsNice article. Shades of Steinbeck. They can win the final if they take the game seriously; but only if they take it seriously.
5 Go to commentsWhat a sad way to end a glittering career. Somebody should tell him to delete his social media accounts and face the consequences of what he's done. Then he should slip away quietly into obscurity. This isn't likely to happen, something tells me he'll be back in The Sun / Daily Mail sooner rather than later.
5 Go to commentsguys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
5 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
238 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
4 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
90 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
20 Go to comments