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Whitelock touches down for Pau hoping to find positives in RWC final defeat
New Zealand second row forward Sam Whitelock said he hopes to find a positive side to last month’s World Cup Final loss, after arriving at French Top 14 club Pau on a two-year deal.
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Whitelock played the last of his 153 Tests, an All Black record, in last month’s one-point (11-12) loss to South Africa in the World Cup Final.
He failed to become the first player to win the tournament on three times having won the Webb Ellis Cup in 2011 and four years later.
“I don’t think any player that goes so close ever gets over it but you learn that you can’t change history,” Whitelock told reporters during his presentation as a Pau player.
“Hopefully I can take what I experienced and put a good spin on it at some stages,” the former Crusaders forward added.
As is often the case after a World Cup, a host of All Blacks players have chosen to leave New Zealand for lucrative contracts abroad.
The majority this time around, including captain Sam Cane, World Rugby Player of the Year Ardie Savea and first-choice halfbacks Aaron Smith and Richie Mo’unga, have signed deals in Japan.
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From this year’s World Cup vintage, only 35-year-old Whitelock, wing Leicester Fainga’anuku and prop Nepo Laulala have agreed to move to France and its gruelling 10-month season.
“It’s a different way of life coming to France,” the bearded Whitelock said, having moved over with his wife and three children.
“We’ve gone from winter to winter, we’ll try and sneak away to some warmth at some stage.
“I’m looking forward to experiencing different things,” the former Panasonic Wild Knights lock added.
In France, Whitelock will be captained by his sibling and eight-time All Black Luke Whitelock, who turns 33 in January having been at Pau since 2019.
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“My little brother Luke has been sowing seeds, dropping hints, for the last three, four years,” Sam Whitelock said.
“There’s been a bit of cheek in the family, asking if I am going to listen to him if tells me what do?
“We’ll have to wait and see if that’s true,” he jokingly added.
The older Whitelock joins a Pau side flying high in the Top 14 in second place having been involved in the relegation scrap since their most recent promotion in 2016.
Their last French top-flight title came in 1964.
Whitelock is not expected to make his debut until at least December 16’s Challenge Cup game with Welsh region the Dragons.
“The club’s been doing outstanding so if anything it’s increased the pressure,” the 2.02m (6.6ft) tall Whitelock said.
“I have to come here and perform.
“I have to add to the momentum that has been started,” he added.
Comments on RugbyPass
Let’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
4 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
1 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
4 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
4 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
4 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
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