‘He rolled the dice’: Sam Whitelock ‘pretty sore’ after playing SRP Final

After winning last weekend’s Super Rugby Pacific Final with the Crusaders, veteran Sam Whitelock admitted that he’d probably “be in a bit of trouble with All Blacks management.”

Whitelock, who has played 143 Test matches in the black jersey, was seemingly in doubt heading into the decider with an Achilles injury.

It seemed that the second rower’s decorated Super Rugby career had come to a close. New Zealand Rugby announced earlier this month that Whitelock had signed for French club Pau on a two-year deal.

Fans wanted one last dance from the legendary lock, but All Blacks coach Foster didn’t expect to see a fairytale finish to Whitelock’s Crusaders career.

About one week before the final, New Zealand coach Foster had said that All Blacks selectors didn’t “expect him to play based on the medical data we’ve got.”

But Whitelock suited up in the famous red and black strip at FMG Stadium Waikato, and starred for the defending champions as they etched their names into rugby folklore with yet another title.

Whitelock, incredibly, was named the Player of the Final.

But with just over two months to go until this year’s Rugby World Cup in France, coach Ian Foster didn’t seem too thrilled with Whitelock’s decision to play one last match for the Crusaders.

Foster revealed that Whitelock was “pretty sore” at the moment – and was unsure whether or not the All Blacks centurion would play against Argentina in Mendoza.

“Sammy Whitelock with his Achilles, he didn’t train today,” Foster told reporters.

“He played during that recovery period so we’ve got to see how he transitions in the next week or two.

“He made a decision based on all the medical advice he got and he rolled the dice and got through it. But he’s not right to train today so we’ve just got to deal with what we’ve got now.”

The countdown to the All Blacks’ first Test of the year is well and truly on, with the team set to fly to Mendoza, Argentina on Sunday.

New Zealand will face Los Pumas next weekend before returning home where they’ll face fierce rivals South Africa in Auckland.