Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Sam Cane of New Zealand. Photo / Getty Images.
Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Sam Cane of New Zealand. Photo / Getty Images.
OPINION
Of the four wins the All Blacks have posted in 2023, the least cohesive was the 23-20 win against the Wallabies, but it was also the one which most emphatically signalled their readiness to have a tilt at winning back the World Cup.
It was also a game thatdemonstrated the value of having strong leadership to steer the team through those tight periods, but more specifically, it highlighted how important it is going to be to have Sam Whitelock on the field in the last 30 minutes of the big games in France.
The veteran lock was inspirational in Dunedin. He was unflappable and unmovable, espousing reassurances to his younger teammates that were clear and simple, while also pulling off several game-changing plays.
Whitelock epitomised precisely the sort of qualities that win World Cups.
Tournament play is not strictly fair and has long favoured teams with substance over style.
Mostly it rewards the grinders - the hard-edged teams who have the mental resilience to keep believing they can win when no one else does.
So much of World Cup rugby tends to be about hanging in there, about having the ability to stay in the fight, winning little moments that become big moments and turning every opportunity into points.
Rarely is it the case that one team will be able to have it mostly all their own way as the All Blacks did in their first three tests of the year, and that’s why the victory in Dunedin represents something bigger and more significant than may be realised.
It took heart and soul to stay in a game in which the All Blacks were down 17-3 at halftime.
The All Blacks needed a late surge to beat the Wallabies. Photo / Getty Images
It took self-belief, real-time adaptation and astute, calm leadership from the senior players.
If the All Blacks had found themselves in a similar pickle last year, it’s unlikely they would have had the mental fortitude to have scrapped their way out of the hole they were in.
But this year, when they needed to change, they were able to, and no one did more to lead that than Whitelock, who grafted for 80 minutes and pulled off three game-changing turnovers in the second half.
He was the inspirational figure a young, inexperienced All Blacks side needed to see lead by example.
He was the calm voice they needed to hear in those pressure moments, and he was the man who gave the All Blacks the momentum they needed to get themselves back into their attacking groove and back into the game.
“I thought Sammy was huge out there,” said New Zealand captain Sam Cane. “He is a cunning figure amongst the forward pack. He’s got more experience than anyone, and he fronted big time, and won some crucial turnovers at times that we were under pressure. To be able to relieve that that defensive pressure we were under was huge.”
Sometimes big games need a big player to change everything. There’s no better way to instill self-belief quickly and widely than by seeing someone take the fight to the opposition.
Whitelock was that guy for the All Blacks in Dunedin. “He’s a warrior isn’t he?” noted Aaron Smith.
“And he’s a legend of our game. He’s pretty clutch in those moments, he just knows how to do the right thing.
“Sam is class and a guy like that in those situations, saying the right things in the huddles to keep us calm.
“I know that when I came on it was simple, clear messages from him. But guys like that you can lean on. They always show up, they are always there.”
Samipeni Finau impressed on debut. Photo / photosport.nz
Whitelock was the inspiration, but he didn’t drive the comeback win on his own.
Richie Mo’unga came off the bench and brought more structure and accuracy to the attack.
Ardie Savea flicked a switch and produced a couple of major moments of his own, most notably his ability to beat defenders and get the All Blacks behind the defence, and debutant Samipeni Finau became more involved and more destructive with his ball carrying.
What mattered was the All Blacks managed to find a way to win. It was never convincing, or pretty, but they realised they had to attack the Wallabies scrum, be more willing to run into the heavy traffic and exert greater pressure through sheer, brute force and presence in the collisions.
And they needed willing and able warriors to lead by example, and of all the tests the All Blacks have played this year, this was the one that looked most like a World Cup knockout game and has shown the importance of having Whitelock on the field in the last 30 minutes.
