The 'incredibly athletic' All Black Genia calls 'the toughest player I've ever played'

Former Australia scrum-half Will Genia has labelled his longstanding All Blacks opponent Brodie Retallick as the “toughest player” he has ever faced in his career.

Joining Danny Care on his Hits Different podcast recently, the 37-year-old discussed his ‘Ultimate XV’, which contains six South Africans, four All Blacks, one Welshman and four of his compatriots.

While the 110-cap Wallaby labelled former All Blacks openside Richie McCaw as “probably the best player of all time,” it was the flanker’s second-row team-mate that Genia describes as his “toughest opponent”.

The 33-year-old former All Black is currently plying his trade in Japan with the Kobelco Kobe Steelers, but the departing Hanazono Kintetsu Liners No.9 Genia has managed to avoid him being in the division below.

“This bloke, the toughest player I’ve ever played against, Brodie Retallick.

“He’s a big man, but he also had an incredible engine,” Genia said.

“He’d be going hard from the start of the game right through to the end. The thing I really hated about him, but would have loved if I played with him, is he just played right on the edge. Niggle. He’d be elbowing you on the ground, he’d be kneeing you, he’d be lipping you up as well, but he was incredibly athletic as well.

“He scored a couple of tries against us over the years, a couple of dummy and goes, run 40 metres. His big support line up the middle of the field.

“I remember playing against him a couple of times, I’d be lining up to box kick and he’d be saying ‘I’m coming for you boy, I’m coming for ya, I’m gonna get that.’ I was sitting there going ‘leave me alone!’

“He was a hell of a player.”

Will Genia’s Ultimate XV
15. Israel Folau
14. Digby Ioane
13. Jonathan Davies
12. Ma’a Nonu
11. Bryan Habana
10. Quade Cooper
9. Fourie du Preez
1. Tendai Mtawarira
2. Keven Mealamu
3. Gurthro Steenkamp
4. Brodie Retallick
5. Victor Matfield
6. Schalk Burger
7. Richie McCaw
8. David Pocock