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Sam Whitelock humbly reflects on record-breaking All Blacks Test
By Finn Morton
Second rower Sam Whitelock offered a humble grin to reporters on Friday night as the New Zealander began to reflect on his record-breaking appearance for the All Blacks.
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Playing at OL Stadium in a decisive Rugby World Cup clash, Whitelock made history against Italy after replacing Shannon Frizell and entering the fray in the 48th minute.
Whitelock, 34, surpassed former New Zealand captain Richie McCaw as the most-capped player in All Blacks history after coming off the pine in Lyon.
The two-time Rugby World Cup champion now holds claim to the individual honour for the most appearances in team history with 149. Another extraordinary milestone of 150 Tests beckons, possibly against Uruguay on Thursday.
About an hour after full-time, a suit-wearing Whitelock remained humble as he began to reflect on the significance of the milestone in the coveted black jersey.
“Yeah really special on a personal level. Had some really cool moments this week, some guys who said some awesome things – some videos, some calls, some texts,” Whitelock told reporters.
“I haven’t read all of them but I’ve read a few of them and they’ve been pretty awesome just being able to stop and slow down and actually enjoy some of those messages.
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“I saw Brad Thorn a couple of weeks ago and he sent a couple.
“He was there at the start for me and he really set me up to be successful. He used to tell Owen Franks and myself before we’d even played a Test match, that we’d play 100.
“Really cool to reconnect with him and see his lovely family and just reminisce about some of the stuff that we used to get up to in the first couple of years.”
Following a disappointing loss to France on the opening night of the World Cup, the All Blacks couldn’t afford to lose another Test at the sports showpiece event.
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New Zealand bounced back with a win over Namibia, but coach Ian Foster later admitted that the game against Italy was always going to be a “critical” challenge for the team.
Led by hat-trick hero Aaron Smith, the All Blacks never looked like losing. New Zealand thrashed the Azzurri on the back of a 14-try blitz.
It was the perfect way to celebrate an icon of the All Blacks in Sam Whitelock. With Whitelock’s wife, kids and parents in the crowd, New Zealand ran away with a famous win.
“The guys did awesome. I thought we had a good couple of weeks around our preparation,” Whitelock added.
“Nice to just get out there and get stuck in. I think Italy showed their intention early with those first couple of minutes of them going wide.
“But the boys stayed really disciplined with what we were trying to do and it was nice to score some points.”
Tops player. Right up there with the likes of Martin Johnson, John Eales, Brad Thorn and Willie John McBride as the greatest locks in RU. Congratulations to the big man.
He's a class act who has surpassed an even bigger icon (McCaw) in All Blacks lore - in the longevity stakes at least. Humble, smart, and committed, he has rarely performed at anything other than top level. Congratulations Sam.