Brodie Retallick wary of what former Chiefs coach brings to Wallabies stable
Knowing Dave Rennie like he does, Brodie Retallick is wary of what tricks the second-year Wallabies coach may have in store for the All Blacks in 2021.
Rennie hit the All Blacks between the eyes in his first match in charge of the Wallabies six months ago, going within centimetres of masterminding Australia’s first Test win in New Zealand in almost 20 years.
The new-era Wallabies ultimately had to settle for a 16-16 draw in Wellington before conceding the Bledisloe Cup for a 17th straight year.
But a last-up 24-22 win over the All Blacks in Brisbane last November placed the ABs on notice.
Retallick, introduced to Super Rugby by Rennie before winning two titles together at the Chiefs almost a decade ago, believes the Wallabies will only be better in the second year under their new coach.
“I’ve only seen what he produced last year with the team but there were some encouraging signs there,” the former world player of the year said from Japan ahead of next weekend’s Top League quarter-finals.
“I know one thing for sure – ‘Renns’ loves a challenge and he’ll put in the work that’s needed.
“So I hear there’s going to be a Rugby Championship this year and obviously getting back-to-back tests and another year under his belt working with players hopefully, there’s some exciting times built on last year’s performances.”
After two seasons with Kobe Steel, Retallick will return to New Zealand this year feeling revitalised ahead of the Bledisloe Cup series and the return of the Rugby Championship after the four-team event was reduced to a Tri Nations competition last year after South Africa pulled out during the pandemic.
The 29-year-old lock has no doubt the Top League will have provided an adequate preparation for the tests ahead.
"Coming to Japan was definitely a result of how much rugby I played in those first five or six years."
Brodie Retallick sheds light on his future plans and his less-than-typical introduction to the world of professional rugby. #AllBlackshttps://t.co/ptFSo2a3eA
— RugbyPass+ (@RugbyPassPlus) April 28, 2021
“It’s probably not as physical, especially up front, as Super Rugby but the speed and the skill is really high,” Retallick said.
“Last year I only played five games before I had to head back to New Zealand because of COVID so the break ended up being about six, seven months, which has been awesome for the body.
“Then, to come back and have a decent pre-season before playing some rugby, it’s been good.”
All Blacks playmaker Beauden Barrett is also confident of being in great nick when he returns to New Zealand after his Top League stint with Suntory Sungoliath.
“It’s not too dissimilar to playing Super Rugby. A lot of people think that we come up here for a holiday but it’s everything but that,” Barrett said.
“We’re training and playing really hard. The work ethic of my teammates and the people up here is impressive.
“I hope to come back home in great condition ready to get into whatever’s thrown at me.
“So we just have to wait and see. That’s up to (All Blacks coach) Ian Foster.
– Darren Walton
Comments on RugbyPass
Don’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to comments