Brodie Retallick is sent off during the All Blacks' victory over Japan. Photo / Photosport
By Liam Napier in Edinburgh
Brodie Retallick is copping gentle ribbing from All Blacks team-mates, in the form of comparisons to a certain Australian cricketer, after his latest suspension setback left him 99 not out.
Retallick missed the All Blacks’ 55-23 victory in Cardiff and will serve the final two weeks of his suspension in Edinburgh after receiving a red card for a cleanout attempt in which he made contact with Japanese loose forward Kazuki Himeno’s head.
“I got the suspension and I accept that,” Retallick, speaking to the Herald for the first time on the Tokyo incident, said as the All Blacks enjoyed the Edinburgh sights, including Stirling Castle, before beginning preparations for an unusual Sunday test local time.
“I got the point of contact wrong by hitting his head and not having my arm up. A lot of red cards you see is just a player making a decision and sometimes it doesn’t pan out as you’d hope. I don’t think there’s a lot of players out there now that go out to intentionally hurt people.
“The way it played out is Roger [Tuivasa-Sheck] got tackled, I leapt over and took one step and had to try clean a player out that was already over the ball. You’re not always going to get it right.
“We were arguing for an entry point of four weeks and they [World Rugby judicial committee] wanted six weeks. At the end of the day, it is what it is. Thankfully I’ve got a clean record and it got halved so hopefully I’ll get a chance to play England.
“One week down now we’re here in Scotland and one week to go so hopefully it’s a fast week.”
Retallick received a one-week suspension discount for undertaking a World Rugby-endorsed coaching intervention programme that he has since completed with All Blacks assistant Joe Schmidt.
“You’ve pretty much got to admit to what you did and show some cleanout and live action of how I’d do it differently. At the time you make a decision in the heat of the game but looking at some techniques and what you’d do differently I’ll look to bring that in my game and make it instinctive.”
That one-week reduction is significant as it will allow Retallick to belatedly notch a century for the All Blacks – and potentially in combination with Sam Whitelock break vaunted Springboks second-row pairing Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha’s record 63-test partnership – at Twickenham next week, with Scott Barrett a strong chance to switch to blindside for the final test of the year.
Retallick would have become the All Blacks’ 11th century maker during the Rugby Championship, only for a broken cheekbone in the third test defeat to Ireland to delay the milestone. And with his suspension further prolonging the achievement, team-mates have taken to comparing Retallick to a great Australian cricketer who averaged 99.94 with the bat across all formats.
“I would’ve been pretty disappointed if that was my tour over and I’d had to head home. I’m now part of the 23 who try and prepare the boys for the week. I’m looking forward to next week when I’m available.
“A couple of the boys have been calling me Donald Bradman and giving me a bit of stick which is probably fair enough but hopefully it’ll be nice to get one more game in before heading home.”
A large section of Retallick’s family, having booked flights and accommodation in Cardiff to witness the occasion, were forced to hastily reschedule in the wake of his red card.
“There’s been a few travel plan changes for my mum, dad and brothers and wife but some of them are arriving at the end of this week and the middle of next week so hopefully it all goes to plan now.”
Despite playing in the Christchurch Boys’ High School first XV in 2008 and ‘09, Canterbury overlooked Retallick’s talent. Only when he moved to Hawke’s Bay to play under Tom Coventry did his career take off.
“It wasn’t until I was about 18 or 19 I actually saw rugby as an opportunity to be professional. I’m not too much of a numbers guy but it will be pretty special to say I’ve done 100. You see players at 40, 50, and think that’s a lot of tests but to say I’ve done 100 will be significant.”
While the impressive forward-dominated victory in Cardiff propelled the All Blacks to five straight wins, suspicions they have turned the corner on their at times tumultuous season will only be confirmed if they break the frustrating pattern of failing to repeat statement performances.
“There’s definitely parts of the game that are a lot better – people can see that – but the last three or four months we won one lost one for a period there and had inconsistency even when we did win so now is the chance to prove we can get it right week in, week out.
“The last two times we’ve been to Scotland the All Blacks have won by five and eight points so it’s going to be another tough test match.”