Zinzan Brooke: Brodie Retallick's delayed influence can mirror England's Richard Hill in 2003
All Black legend Zinzan Brooke is backing Brodie Retallick to replicate the World Cup-winning comeback that saw Richard Hill help England lift the trophy in Sydney in 2003.
Retallick has been named in Steve Hansen’s 31-strong All Black squad for Japan – although the earliest the second row could return from the shoulder injury suffered in the 16-all, late July Rugby Championship draw with South Africa would be the knock-out stages.
Hansen knows that a fully fit Retallick changes the whole complexion of the New Zealand pack and is prepared to take him to the finals despite not yet having a return to play date.
In 2003, Saracens flanker Hill badly tore a hamstring in the opening pool match with Georgia. Coach Clive Woodward kept him with the squad while he undertook lengthy rehabilitation work, believing the back row was so important it would be worth the gamble of operating a man down for a while.
Hill did not appear again for England until the semi-final, helping to defeat France, and he then delivered another world-class performance alongside back row colleagues Lawrence Dallaglio and Neil Back in the momentous extra-time final victory over Australia.
All Blacks fans identify the unluckiest exclusion from Steve Hansen's squad https://t.co/izWBMXfbi1
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Like Hill, 77-cap Retallick is so important to the way his team operates that he has become a special case and former All Black Brooke is confident the lock will be a key figure at whatever point he returns to play.
Brooke, who overcame a serious Achilles injury to make the 1995 World Cup, told RugbyPass: “To me, Brodie Retallick is one and a half players – he is that important to the team. He gives so much more and while he may be a bit off form when he comes back, what he offers when at the peak of his game is astronomical.
“When you look at England in 2003, they were at their peak and the final piece of the jigsaw in the team was Richard Hill. He was an unsung hero – he got on with things and delivered in every match.
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“Hill was such an important cog in the back row trio that England knew they had to wait for a fully fit Hill to be available during the 2003 World Cup campaign. Clive did wait and was paid back with the trophy.
“If you are going to pick a World XV then one of the top two locks you would pick is Retallick and together with Sam Whitelock, they make a great second row combination for the All Blacks.
“Retallick is like Australia’s John Eales in that you know he is going to pick off lineout ball from the opposition. Eales was a real pain in backside and Retallick will be exactly the same when he gets back and will cause all kinds of problems both in the tight and around the field with that Praying Mantis body.”
🎥 WATCH | Steve Hansen gives an explanation on some of the selections in the All Blacks Rugby World Cup squad.
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— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) August 28, 2019
Following what Brooke terms “ three wobbles” by the All Blacks before they gained revenge over Australia at Eden Park, the former No8 rates England as a more formidable team heading into the World Cup, although the return of Retallick would tip the scales back the other way.
“The All Blacks will need Retallick in Japan and at the moment, on paper, England would be a little bit stronger than the All Blacks,” he said. “However, when Retallick comes back he will cause the opposition all kinds of problems.
“Of course you don’t hang your hat on one individual but one player can do something really important in a World Cup. Yes, match-wise Retallick will be a bit underdone when he gets back but I remember when I had to do my rehab work to make the 1995 World Cup after my ankle and partially torn Achilles injury, the training to get to the tournament was really tough.
“There will be a lot of focus on the pool game between the All Blacks and Springboks but both teams will get to the semi-finals. Is there an easier way to get to the final in Japan?
“I don’t think so because there are now six or seven teams who could win the World Cup which wasn’t the case 18 months ago when I would have said it doesn’t matter what route New Zealand take they will make the final. It’s now a level playing field.”
WATCH: The city of Oita will play host to New Zealand at the World Cup in Japan
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