Rugby: The change that helped All Blacks lock Sam Whitelock to greatness

Sam Whitelock in action during the Rugby World Cup Final. Photo / Brett Phibbs

When Sam Whitelock, still only 29 and about to play his 100th test, began his test career he was a perfectionist but not necessarily in a good way – even a little personal mistake would put him off his game for the remainder of the 80 minutes.

The high standards were needed to get him to where he is today – one of the best locks in world rugby – but his inability to quickly put errors behind him and a tendency to think too deeply about things on the field rather than just react instinctively, were holding him back.

It's an area that needed work but one thing the Crusaders skipper, who led the All Blacks in their last four tests in the absence of the injured Kieran Read, has never lacked is a willingness and ability to work hard.

"When he first came in he was a deep thinker," coach Steve Hansen said as his side prepared for the first Bledisloe Cup test of the year against Australia in Sydney tomorrow.

"Everything had to be perfect and there wasn't a lot of flexibility in that thinking so that probably inhibited him a little bit.

"He now trusts his own instincts so he doesn't have to see it, think about and then do it, he just does it instinctively and that's improved him immensely as a player, I think.

"He's always been a quality athlete. I think sometimes we forget that because the other guy is so good – Brodie [Retallick]. Sam in his own right is one of the world's best locks. He can carry, he can defend, he's good in the set piece both scrum and lineout.

"I remember when he played about 20 tests we sat down and set a goal and he gave me the goal that he wanted to play 100 test matches and he's achieved that. To do that, you've got to be playing well consistently."

No All Black had played 100 tests when Whitelock set that goal, but now he is the eighth to have achieved it. He and Retallick are the highest capped test locking combination in history.

"Steve and I were joking around - he thinks I'm pretty stubborn which is probably correct but it takes a stubborn person to know a stubborn person," Whitelock said. "We've always had some friendly banter but I think I've grown in many areas and at times I've had to lose a game to learn some of those hard lessons."

Whitelock, who made his test debut against Ireland in New Plymouth in 2010, has been dropped a couple of times by Hansen but has always responded quickly and positively.

Asked if he is a perfectionist, Whitelock replied: "That word has been thrown around a little bit. I think at the start I was very dedicated and trying to get everything perfect. As I know now, it never happens that way. In some games you might drop the ball early – it doesn't mean the game is a write-off."

Whitelock has always had the dedication and talent to achieve his incredible milestone. He's had a little luck, too, in terms of the continued soundness of his body.

None other than former All Blacks lock and hard man Brad Thorn marked out Whitelock for greatness when the then youngster was just starting his Crusaders career, and a current All Black and Crusaders teammate, Ryan Crotty, knows Whitelock, originally from Palmerston North, better than most.

"I started playing with Sam when we were in the New Zealand under-16s together," Crotty said. "He came down to Christchurch after that and we've played a heck of a lot of rugby together since then. Probably what stands out the most is how amazingly consistent he's been over that time."

Hansen added: "I'm very proud of him. He's a big leader in the All Blacks now and he obviously led the team in the last four tests while Reado was out and did a fantastic job, I thought. He's a great lieutenant for Reado now as well. He's only 29 so he should get a few more too."

The man himself wants to mark his achievement with a special performance and believes the signs are good that the All Blacks can provide one. "You can feel that this week within the environment," he said. "The boys are up for it."