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'Sport can be pretty cruel': Whitelock signs off on immense All Blacks career
Sam Whitelock finishes his All Blacks career as the nation’s most-capped player, a two-time world champion as well as both a Rugby World Cup silver and bronze medalist among a myriad of other accolades.
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The lock’s legacy is second to none, but his storied international career didn’t finish on the high note he hoped it would have in the weekend’s Rugby World Cup final.
Falling to an agonising one-point loss to serial rivals South Africa, the All Blacks farewelled Whitelock, along with several other legends on an emotional night in Paris.
Dane Coles, Brodie Retallick, Nepo Laulala and Aaron Smith all join Whitelock in departing the famous black jersey while a number of other stars have sabbaticals or overseas contracts with the potential of a return within the coming years still on the table.
“The boys have been great, they’re getting around everyone and making sure everyone is supported in there,” Whitelock said on the pain of defeat after the final. “Sport can be pretty cruel.”
The loss caps a trying four-year period for the All Blacks, the team incurred record losses but also retained The Rugby Championship each year in its different formats.
Whitelock commended his team’s growth throughout the tournament and praised the belief shown given the challenges of the World Cup cycle.
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“You always have to have faith. We had seen parts of it over the last couple of years when we have put it together for periods but I felt we took a couple of big steps in this tournament.
“We didn’t get the job done against France early on but there were parts we were really proud of. We took that confidence moving forward and that allowed us to expand and play our game. Tonight we really didn’t get in our flow.”
It will be France where Whitelock will take the field next, joining his brother Luke at Pau after an historic career with the Crusaders in Super Rugby.
“It’s a bit weird. It hasn’t sunk in yet. I am still here with the team and speaking English. It will be completely different when we get back but that is still a month or so away. I’m just dealing with this at the moment.”
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The 35-year-old is a man of few words, often saying he expects it won’t be until later on in life when he’s reflecting on stories, relationships and his career as a whole that the emotions over his journey truly sink in.
“Every jersey is special. It’s an absolute privilege to play for your country and it doesn’t matter who you are playing against. It’s special playing in a World Cup final.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Starts 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
2 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.
2 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.
3 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!
3 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?
228 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.
3 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.
86 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
30 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
228 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
228 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
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