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International

All Black legend leaves international game a winner

By AAP
Sam Whitelock collects his silver medal after the Rugby World Cup final. Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images

Former All Blacks skipper Sam Whitelock has signed off his career in fitting style, leading the Barbarians to a 45-32 win over Fiji in a thrilling clash at Twickenham.

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The 35-year-old forward, twice a World Cup winner with New Zealand, received a rousing round of applause from all corners of the stadium in southwest London as he left the field late on.

Whitelock gave an assured performance at lock alongside England international David Ribbans against a free-flowing Fiji team coach by Australian Mick Byrne.

The impressive Fijians were led by a hat-trick from Epeli Momo, who plays in Super Rugby Pacific with the Drua, but fell short in a breathless encounter.

Former England winger Jonny May scored twice for the Barbarians, whose other tries came from Lachlan Boshier (two), Chay Fihaki, Zach Mercer and New Zealand international Leicester Fainga’anuku.

Also included for the Barbarians were Gold Coast-born Jack Cornelsen – the son of 1970s and 1980s Wallaby Greg Cornelsen – who represents Japan at international level, and former Wallabies prop Scott Sio.

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The star-studded Baa-Baas – coached by ex-Wallabies mentor Robbie Deans – were pushed hard by Fiji, with Momo’s three tries added to by Kemueli Valentini’s 10 points and seven more from five-eighth Caleb Muntz.

Watch the exclusive reveal-all episode of Walk the Talk with Ardie Savea as he chats to Jim Hamilton about the RWC 2023 experience, life in Japan, playing for the All Blacks and what the future holds. Watch now for free on RugbyPass TV

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Comments

1 Comment
G
Graham 4 days ago

What a way for Crusaders and All Black great Sam Whitelock to bow out. Off the field, a really good man and on it a man who oozes leadership and dominance. I believe our greatest ever lock. Good luck for the next chapter Sam . Sure it will go well.

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Comments on RugbyPass

M
Mzilikazi 44 minutes ago
Australia name strong side for tough U20 Championship opener

Be good if the players States were given…can that be done next time, please….respectfully 😀

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J
Jon 1 hours ago
Will Wallaby revenge be served up hot against Wales in July?

Hey Nick, thank you for a well researched and explained article. I am thinking there will only be 4 remaining Welsh players from RWC as Nick Tompkins will probably miss out. This Welsh team is very inexperienced and will be low on confidence after the 6Ns so no better time for The Wallabies to taste some revenge..hot or not! As a Welsh man living in Qld I have been looking forward to the Red and Gold going toe to toe again but I feel it is very much advantage Australia. IMHO the Wallaby debacle at RWC rests with Eddie and I am confident the team are in a much safer pair of hands now. The Wallabies have plenty of quality players that I am sure Joe and his coaching team will mould into a quality team. The question is how long does he need to do it and does he have enough time until the first test???

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M
MattJH 2 hours ago
Rassie Erasmus fires back at Racing 92 owner over Siya Kolisi remarks

Siya plays almost constantly, year in, year out, and he had some injury troubles. The standard he plays to for that many games is insane, he won’t always be at his peak, he knows how to reach that for international games.

9 Go to comments
C
Cullen 2 hours ago
How the All Blacks squad Razor built will fare against England

More negative drivel hoping to be seen as critical writing from the worst rugby journalist NZ has ever seen. Making up ghost positions on behalf of the “public” in order to debate with himself. Nonsense.

30 Go to comments
H
Haunui 3 hours ago
First All Blacks squad mainly based on reputation and potential

This article appears to be by someone who doesnt really follow NZ rugby

16 Go to comments
D
David 3 hours ago
Wallabies can wait as Joe Schmidt orders Reds' Tim Ryan to bulk up

He’s a whizz, if he bulks up, other than natural growth will he lose his sparkle and become just another winger? Think Joe was a wing but it doesn't look like he bulked up :)

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N
Nick 5 hours ago
Will Wallaby revenge be served up hot against Wales in July?

Tbh I still expect wales to win. Even though wales may not be playing well, at least they have ~6 games under their belt! That’s infinitely more time than what the WBs have had under Schmidt. This will give them some form of system to fall back onto the WBs won’t have. Nick, how will schmidt get the WBs to play given he has so little time? What should be looked for as success/failure around the ground? will he have given the players the whole gameplan and just expect them to not execute at 100%, a stripped back version, something simple/easy as a holdover, or ask them to play eyes up footy and rely on individual brilliance? As you raise here, I’d like to see the start of a foundation - stable set piece, no huge holes in D, and a pod structure in attack. I could see these games going either way - high scoring seesawing battles given leaky defences, or tedious low scoring, tight affairs because there is no gel on attack.

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Willie 5 hours ago
First All Blacks squad mainly based on reputation and potential

Hey Ben. Your homograph use of the word” their” is incorrect -The selections send a message that perhaps *their* was more to be had from a team.

16 Go to comments
J
JD Kiwi 6 hours ago
My main takeaway from this Springboks selection

Rassie is simply making the most of the golden generation blooded by Meyer and Coetzee, that he turned into world beaters. They're still around their peak so why not get all the success he can from them? Who knows whether the next generation of forwards will have the same depth of quality.

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B
Bull Shark 6 hours ago
Will Wallaby revenge be served up hot against Wales in July?

_As Wales coach Warren Gatland suggested on the announcement of his touring squad, “I think everyone appreciates we are building towards 2027._” I wonder what sort of win ratio the NH part-time pundits are going to allow Gatland as he builds to 2027? Seems like folks are looking away from this one. A mulligan.

21 Go to comments
B
Bull Shark 7 hours ago
Referee Angus Gardner has withdrawn from the South Africa vs Ireland series

Do we know what his “personal reasons” are or are we going to leave it to the tinfoil hat, conspiracy theorists, in the peanut gallery to have a field day with this?

28 Go to comments
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Mzilikazi 8 hours ago
Will Wallaby revenge be served up hot against Wales in July?

There really could not be a much more benign start for Joe Schmidt to his WB career. Dave Rennie could have done with this type of kick off to his tenure as coach. Sad to see Wales so weak now, especially in the scrum. Gone are the days of “The Pontypool Front Row”. And this is classic July series game, with the NH sides weakened by the loss of injured players after a long season>. And those that are able and willing to travel exhausted. Even so, I won’t be surprised to see Wales give the WB’s some worrying moments. But this time there will be a level of organisation in the WB’s team that was missing when Wales destroyed our team in France at RWC. There will be a cutting edge like that of a Toledo steel weapon. I for one am thankful for that result, in that it left no doubts that the craziest coach ever to control the WB’s had to go. Now we sally forth with Joe Schmidt.

21 Go to comments
A
Arno 8 hours ago
‘The most incredible half-time team talk I have ever heard’

I think you’re mistaking which game against England he is talking about. It was obviously the 2023 semifinal, not the 2019 final, since the PSDT speech is recorded in Chasing the Sun 2, which Jim Hamilton was referring to when talking to Damian.

1 Go to comments
B
Bull Shark 9 hours ago
My main takeaway from this Springboks selection

100% on the money. No other springbok team has had the same coach for more than 4 years. Rassie built the foundations between 2016/18. There’s no need to only focus on world cups anymore. They’ve hit that mark twice. Like I’ve said before - his goal now is to to beat the Irish. To win a RC in 2024. And to continue dominating AND win a World Cup in 2027. He himself has said it - that the boks should aim to be as great as the All Blacks have been at being dominant, and sustainably. So the wet blankets who go on about the boks win ratios can start piping down. It’s growing hairs.

5 Go to comments
S
Sebastien 9 hours ago
Le patron des officiels de match répond aux polémiques sur l'arbitrage

Votre idiot Utile.

1 Go to comments
S
Sebastien 9 hours ago
Referee Angus Gardner has withdrawn from the South Africa vs Ireland series

Another victim of Erasmus and stupid sa fans. Shame on World Rugby to not protect the refs.

28 Go to comments
j
john 10 hours ago
Will Wallaby revenge be served up hot against Wales in July?

So a kiwi coach of Wales is coming up against a kiwi coach of Australia. Frankly it’s whoop de bloody do. There is no national passion to get excited about here. It’s just a game of mercenaries. How long have Wales avoided having a Welsh coach ? 20 years ? It must be like being neutered. When are Wales going to grow some cahunas and get a Welsh coach ? Then we can think of them as a real international team representing a real country.

21 Go to comments
D
Derek Murray 11 hours ago
Will Wallaby revenge be served up hot against Wales in July?

Joe’s spent a good deal of time keeping our expectations in check but I saw nothing from Wales at Twickenham myself or in your analysis here that indicates we shouldn’t expect to win. Go Wallabies

21 Go to comments
H
Howard 12 hours ago
My main takeaway from this Springboks selection

I think he wants to put the Irish bogey to rest. The younger players will gradually be introduced after that.

5 Go to comments
B
BlueMoonday 13 hours ago
'Into the Blackness': Scott Robertson shares his theme for new All Blacks

He will get the buy in. This guy is a new breed of coach but with the old school pedigree foundation. Might take time but all good things do 🖤

3 Go to comments
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