Sam Whitlock, the records man

If New Zealand second-rower Sam Whitlock plays on Friday in Lyon against Italy during the 2023 World Cup, he will become the most capped All Black player of all time with 149 caps. In front of the legend Richie McCaw.

His coach, Ian Foster, said: “In every match, Sam is doing something new at the moment. He equaled the record (in terms of number of international matches) last week, and he will break it this week. His 150th international match will reach, and then he will become the most decorated player in the world.” He was crowned All Lions in the World Cup. Every day bears witness to the successes he achieves. We want to honor this achievement, because he deserves it and we will do that after this match.”

By playing his 22nd World Cup match on Friday, Whitlock will also become tied with Richie McCaw and England prop Jason Leonard, the player who has played the most World Cup matches. It is a record that he will keep alone if he participates in the final group match against Uruguay on October 5 in Lyon.

And if we make even wilder predictions, if New Zealand goes all the way and wins a fourth world title, the second row in the four World Cups contested will become the first player in history to claim three titles.

– “As if there was a year in ’87” –

Numbers give spin. All Black star Dan Carter, Whitlock’s partner during the world titles in 2011 and 2015, is baffled. “He’s already got three titles,” he told AFP, before correcting himself: “Oh no, two, he wasn’t there in ’87, but he’s been there for a long time, that’s all.”

And at Lyon’s Parc de la tête d’Or, where the All Blacks showcased their bench on Wednesday for the city that has hosted them throughout the group stage, Carter made no secret of his admiration for his former team-mate.

“Sam is going to break a record that I never thought would be surpassed. We still talk about the record that the great Richie McCaw set. But he deserves it. I’ve seen him get to the All Blacks, I’ve seen him grow, become a real leader, very, very influential.” . This record shows how much he has dedicated himself to the black jersey, always giving priority to the team,” said the former New Fly player. Zealand.

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Among his current partners, Whitlock, who will turn 35 during the World Cup on October 12, is respected. Even his traveling companion, Colonel Nebo Laulala, 32, did not dare assert that he was the inventor of the unflattering nickname for the second row of choice.

– “Gandalf”, “The Godfather” –

“I know some people call him Gandalf,” he said quietly, not really prepared to compare his colleague to the mysterious old man, one of Tolkien’s characters. “He is the godfather,” he hastened to add.

There is ultimately only one record that Whitlock will never be able to beat, and that is the number of caps earned by a player in all countries combined. It belongs to Welshman Alun Wyn Jones, also in the second row, with 170 caps (158 for Wales, 12 with the British and Irish Lions).

Whitelock would never beat him because after the World Cup, he would ditch the black jersey to stay in France for two more seasons, at Pau alongside his younger brother, Luc, before returning home.

It will be time to look back at an extraordinary career, that of Whitlock, the record man.

lh/chc