‘He’s a workaholic’: The glory day of All Black Sam Whitelock, the equivalent of a Macaw legend
We can, without exaggeration, say that Namibia risks leaving with full suitcases. After correcting Italy in the opening (52-8), the African qualifiers continue on Friday, September 15, in the evening against New Zealand at Toulouse Stadium (9 p.m.).
And all black people are hungry. After their first defeat against the Blues (27-13) at the Stade de France, they will only be looking for two things: a better win and reassurance of their game. All to celebrate another milestone, the team’s 148th selection. Sam Whitlock, two-time world champion in grade 2 (2011, 2015).
With this total, Samuel Lawrence Whitlock, his full name, will join a legend: Richie McCaw, the former All Blacks captain who is also a two-time world champion (2011, 2015) and three times elected World Rugby Player of the Year. . Landmark, monument.
“It took two laps to feed them all.”
“He’s been playing for a long time,” current New Zealand captain Ardi Savea said of his teammate. I admire the way he plays. We all know he’s a workaholic. I’ve seen him adapt and evolve. He’s been there since Richie’s days Rido (Kieran Read). He was the youngest. Since then, it has witnessed the arrival of generations. He is able to get along with everyone, and he is interested and tries to understand other cultures. After the match, he will have time to put the tremendous success achieved into perspective. »
Sam Whitlock is 34 years old (2.02m, 117kg) and is part of a family of four boys, all rugby players, all of whom have played for the All Blacks (even if Adam, the former rower, is a rugby sevens player). Even their youngest, Luke, wore the New Zealand captain’s armband. “They ate a lot. It took two roasts to feed them all, especially the lamb (…). Potatoes, vegetables and fruit salad with ice cream almost every night,” their mother Caroline Whitlock told the New Zealand Herald in 2013, describing their childhood. Her children on their farm in Linton, in the central North Island of the country.
“Everything was a competition,” Luke recalls. It was up to the person who could run to the corner and back the quickest, the person who could do the most pull-ups, the person who won the rugby game in the park… Lots of crying, fighting but in the end, good moments and memories. »
In a few weeks, at the end of the World Cup, Sam and Luke will be playing together in the green jersey of Pau in the top 14. A color reminiscent of Sam Whitlock’s first appearance in the squad in 2010 against Ireland. The first of his 120 wins (in 147 matches, a staggering 82% of wins) with the black jacket. In his position on the second line, he scored seven international attempts (35 points), including one in the 2019 World Cup, against… Namibia.
The first triple world champion player?
“This is an amazing moment for Sam and for the group,” All Blacks coach Ian Foster said. He’s been a warrior on this team for a very long time. To match someone like Richie is an amazing accomplishment. We all know what it means for him to wear the black jersey. Doing so for the 148th time represents a unique opportunity. We must deliver a performance worthy of this record. After the match we will celebrate with him and his family. What he has achieved is a great honor. » Imagine what people would say about Sam Whitlock if he became the first player to be crowned world champion three times on October 28.
Until then, barring injury, he will approach the international record held by Welshman Alun Wyn Jones, who has made 158 caps (171 if we count caps for the Lions, a team that includes the best British players). But it will stay there, because the New Zealanders don’t pick any player who plays out of bounds. His move to Béarn will bring an end to this thirteen-year adventure under the White Fern shirt, just like that of the Crusaders, the Super Rugby franchise based in Christchurch. life. In 2018, Whitlock became the fastest New Zealander to reach 100 caps, aged just 30.
“I never thought I would achieve this feat,” he told the site. Rajabirama Last April. Things have moved very quickly for me. I went from Crusaders player to All Black in the space of a year. Deep down, I thought I wasn’t physically ready. I weighed only 106kg when I should have been 120, I was very skinny but I really had this desire to get stronger and progress alongside the exceptional players. Guys like Brad Thorn, Kevin Milamo and Richie McCaw supported me in their own way. I owe them a lot, they helped me a lot. “Today, Sam Whitlock overtook them.
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