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
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 28, 2019
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.
FULL PRESS CONFERENCE ➡️ https://t.co/wgvvgYVf1K pic.twitter.com/8y0muQeGkE
— 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
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.
4 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.
87 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.
1 Go to comments