Opinion: An All Blacks recall for Sam Whitelock is a straightforward decision
New Zealand's Samuel Whitelock celebrates at the end of the Rugby World Cup semifinal match between Argentina and New Zealand at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris.
If Scott Robertson wants to call up Sam Whitelock to the All Blacks squad, he should be free to do so, and New Zealand Rugby should not stand in his way.
Reports emerged on Thursday stating that the new All Blacks boss is eager to get New Zealand’s most capped men’s international involved for the 2024 Test season despite Whitelock currently plying his trade in France.
Robertson has upset the status quo in NZ Rugby with his comments around their eligibility laws, calling on the bigwigs to keep “an open mind” on selection and he is right.
The Springboks have benefitted immensely from opening the door to selecting overseas-based players – in fact, in many cases, they are pushing for players to sign for foreign teams. It isn’t the only factor that helped them win back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles, but it is an important one.
While the Wallabies endured a torrid campaign in 2023, they have seen the benefits that come with selecting European-based players, particularly lock Will Skelton.
A strong case
Robertson has not asked for a free-for-all like the Springboks but instead requests that each potential overseas call-up be considered on a “case-by-case basis” to prevent the floodgates from opening.
And when it comes to Sam Whitelock, there is a damn good case to make.
When Wayne Barnes blasted his whistle for the last time during the 2023 Rugby World Cup final, it not only denied the All Blacks a chance at history by becoming the first team to win four World Cups but also brought an end to several players’ careers in the black jersey.
The All Blacks bid farewell to veterans Dane Coles and Aaron Smith, who announced their retirements after collectively racking up over 200 Test matches. Richie Mo’unga also played what is likely to be his last Test match, at least for a good while, following his move to Japan. And then there were the two experienced locks, Brodie Retallick and Whitelock.
With Retallick heading to Japan after the World Cup and Whitelock off to France, the All Blacks not only lost the most-capped lock pairing in international rugby history but also a combined 262 Test caps worth of experience in the coalface of Test rugby.
While Robertson will still have the ever-improving Scott Barrett (68 Test caps), who really delivered on his world-class pedigree last year, replacing that kind of experience in the squad immediately is impossible and would take years to fill their voids.
It looks as if the new head coach simply wants to fast-track the development of the next generation of locks and, to do that, the expertise and experience of Whitelock in the squad will go a long way.
Mentoring the next generation
Whitelock is renowned for his lineout expertise; in fact, since the retirement of Springbok great Victor Matfield, it’s hard to argue that he hasn’t been the best lineout operator in world rugby. Few, if any, can read the opposition better than him and seldom were teams able to nick lineouts off the All Blacks when he was in the starting XV.
Being able to pass down that knowledge and analytical eye to the next generation of locks will be paramount to the All Blacks’ success in the years to come, and how better to learn from than Whitelock himself?
It wouldn’t just be the expertise around the set-piece, too, as Whitelock knows exactly how Robertson operates and the standards he will set for the All Blacks. As a former captain under the new head coach, the second rower could be a crucial cog in getting the side settled under him as quickly as possible.
Under the current NZ Rugby regulations, Whitelock would need to find a way out of the final year of his contract with Pau – where he is playing alongside his brother Luke. However, in this case, NZ Rugby should make an exception.
Last year, this writer urged the All Blacks to abandon their policies regarding selecting overseas-based players when it emerged that Beauden Barrett would be heading abroad, and again, I do so for Whitelock.
He shouldn’t have to give up a lucrative payday before hanging up his boots if the All Blacks boss still requires his services. Whitelock has more than paid his dues, having spent just one season away from Super Rugby since his debut in 2010 – a stint in Japan with the Wild Knights that was cut short due to the pandemic.
He has given his all for well over a decade to the red jersey of the Crusaders and the black of New Zealand, playing over 300 matches.
His selection wouldn’t just be one for the value he adds at the lineout or from a leadership point of view as he showed time and time again in 2023 that he was still a top-quality international lock.
There wasn’t a bad Test match in his catalogue last year and he rose to the occasion in the quarter-final match against Ireland when it was his jackal-winning turnover that sealed the All Blacks’ passage into the semi-finals of the World Cup.
If not for Whitelock, then for who?
If Whitelock wants a return and Robertson believes that he has plenty to add, then the lock should be allowed to join the squad ahead of the July internationals against England and beyond, regardless of where he will be playing his club rugby.
This would not open the floodgates for players to leave New Zealand freely and result in a Super Rugby exodus, but it would be rewarding a true legend of the All Blacks to have one more swansong after a crushing end to a simply outstanding career.
New Zealand Rugby know that they will never be able to hold onto their best talents forever, and Ardie Savea’s sabbatical is testament to it. They don’t need to open this opportunity up to every All Black abroad but doing so for Whitelock is seemingly a straightforward decision.
Some will look at it as Whitelock taking up a position a younger player could fill, but traditionally, only the best become All Blacks, and his return will spur those young locks on to force their way in, but at the same time, they will get the opportunity to learn from one of the all-time greats.
In reality, it should be as easy as a phone call and flight booking for Whitelock to return to the All Blacks fold.
READ MORE: Scott Robertson approaches All Blacks legend to return to New Zealand – report
