All eyes will be on the New Zealand second row this Saturday evening, as Sam Whitelock looks to complete his mission of becoming the first man to win three Rugby World Cup titles. Whitelock recently surpassed Richie McCaw’s long-standing reign as the most-capped All Black, and wants to add the ultimate accolade to his illustrious career.
When Whitelock made a 32 minute run-out off the bench, in New Zealand’s pool stage demolition of Italy, he surpassed his former captain for his 150th All Blacks cap. McCaw’s record had stood since his retirement in 2015, which saw him end his career as a two-time Rugby World Cup winning captain. Whitelock has also since surpassed McCaw and legendary England prop Jason Leonard, to become the most capped player in Rugby World Cup history.
McCaw and Leonard both each accrued 22 tournament caps, with Whitelock hoping to make his 25th Rugby World Cup appearance in this Saturday’s final against South Africa. Whitelock already has the most Rugby World Cup match wins (another record he took from McCaw), and would want nothing more than to ride off into the sunset with a third Rugby World Cup winners medal.
Whitelock is expected to leave his beloved Crusaders after the World Cup, with a move to French club Pau lined-up following the tournament. After a career in Christchurch, Whitelock’s move away from New Zealand would likely see the 35-year-old step out of the All Blacks fold, for Ian Foster to usher in a new generation of locks for the next Rugby World Cup cycle.
So, with Whitelock’s speculated international retirement on the horizon, we took a look back on the iconic second row’s history at Rugby World Cup. Here is a run-down on Sam Whitelock’s Rugby World Cup career, ahead of this weekend’s final against South Africa.
2011 RUGBY WORLD CUP
Whitelock could not have timed his international rise any better, as just five appearences after his All Blacks debut he was named in the squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Whitelock marked his New Zealand debut with two tries against Ireland, and quickly stamped his name onto the All Blacks second row. Whitelock sat out the All Blacks’ tournament opener against Tonga, but was picked to start in the second pool stage fixture against Japan.
Whitelock made good on his opportunity, and impressed Head Coach Graham Henry in the All Blacks 83-7 demolition of the Brave Blossoms. Following this match, Whitelock held onto the starting shirt for the rest of the competition, which saw New Zealand make it all the way to a home-soil Rugby World Cup Final. Whitelock had surpassed his competiting locks Ali Williams and Anthony Boric to the starting spot, as he packed down the scrum alongside Brad Thorn for the Final at Eden Park.
Whitelock had a solid impact in the narrow 9-8 win over France, and had a key involvement in Tony Woodcock’s 15th minute try. The All Blacks had a line-out on the French 5m line, and Whitelock sold the dummy jump at the front of the line-out, drawing the French attention away from Jerome Kaino at the back of the group. Whitelock then turned and legally obstructed the French defenders, with Woodcock sent through a gap in the middle of the line-out to score.
2015 RUGBY WORLD CUP
Whitelock pressed on throughout the following World Cup cycle, and established himself as the first choice lock in what was now Steve Hansen’s side. Whitelock played his 50th All Blacks test in the 2013 Autumn Internationals, with New Zealand handing England a 30-22 defeat at Twickenham. Whitelock then started in all three of the 2014 Summer wins over Stuart Lancasters men, for a 3-0 clean sweep in the one-sided series.
The All Blacks entered the 2015 Rugby World Cup amongst the favourites, however no side in history had been able to retain their title as World Champions. This formidable New Zealand side is regarded amongst the best ever sporting teams, as Whitelock joined the likes of Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Ma’a Nonu, Conrad Smith, Tony Woodcock and Kevin Mealamu for one last ride before international retirement. Whitelock played in every single test in England, as New Zealand made light work of their pool stage opponents; Argentina, Tonga, Georgia and Namibia.
The Crusader played the full 80 minutes in each knock-out stage match, as New Zealand despatched France with an emphatic 62-13 win, and wrestled past the Springboks with a much closer 20-18 victory. The All Blacks lined-up against the Wallabies in the 2015 Rugby World Cup Final, in what is amongst the most entertaining iterations of the competition’s finale. Whitelock partnered up with Brodie Retallick in the second row, as the boot of Dan Carter led the All Blacks to an epic 34-17 triumph over the Wallabies.