All Blacks: Physicality makes Sam the man in lock stakes

Sam Whitelock. Photo / Getty Images

It didn't escape Sam Whitelock's notice that the last lock to be rested for the final Tri Nations game has never been sighted in an All Blacks jersey again.

That was his Crusaders team-mate Isaac Ross, with whom so many parallels can be drawn. Like Ross, Whitelock has come from nowhere to make a big impact in his rookie test season.

Like Ross, Whitelock is a tall, rangy player who shows up well away from his core role. And, like Ross was in 2009, Whitelock was asked to step to one side for the final Tri Nations match of 2010.

That's where the 21-year-old Whitelock hopes the similarities end. The rise and fall of Ross is one of the more puzzling and troubling stories of the rugby year.

Ross played in every test last year but was left out of the team to play Australia in Wellington. Weeks later he was told he would not be travelling to Europe as it was deemed best for him to stay at home and bulk up.

His star then went into freefall. He was left at home when the Crusaders went to South Africa this year. From being the man of the moment, he's now happy enough just to get a regular start with Canterbury.

Whitelock needn't worry about the same fate. As tempting as it is to make comparisons between Ross and Whitelock, the latter is a different kettle of fish. He is, in many respects, precisely the player the All Black coaches mistakenly thought Ross was.

The big difference is Whitelock's appetite for collision work and his proficiency at the core skills.

"I think 99 per cent of professional players enjoy that side of the game," he says. "I enjoy the encounter out there. Having brothers who enjoyed that at home or on the field has helped.

"Going right back to Super 14, I was a little bit light and got beaten up a bit. I have put on a bit of weight since I have been with the All Blacks and that has helped me. It has not made it easy, but it has helped me recover quicker. If I can put on a little bit more weight, it's going to really help me out the rest of this year."

It would be harsh in the extreme to suggest Ross is in the 1 per cent of players not keen on the rough and tumble, but he certainly doesn't have the same presence or aggression as Whitelock.

For all the talk of athleticism and mobility, locks at heart are really about the physical presence they offer.

Having great athletes is one thing, but if they are not a little bit nasty, entirely willing to smash into immovable objects, then it doesn't matter that they can gallop like thoroughbreds with the ball in one hand. The open-field stuff, the high-jinks passing, that's great, but only if the core job is being done as well.

Whitelock has the mental steel the All Blacks are after and his non-appearance this weekend was partly about giving Anthony Boric an opportunity. It was also partly a realisation that Whitelock has made dizzying progress and a week of consolidation would not be a bad thing.

"I have had a pretty big year," he says. "I have ended up here where a lot of people, including myself, didn't think I would. So it was time for me to sit back and have a week off and develop my game in other areas and is also a chance for me to watch the game and learn something from it."

Unlike Ross this time last year, Whitelock has a big tour to prepare for. He'll see plenty of game time.

The selectors are aware of what their preferred pairing of Tom Donnelly and Brad Thorn can offer. They need to see more of Whitelock, give him more test exposure so he can step in next year if injury strikes.

The selectors are aware it has been a colossal year already for Whitelock. The physical and mental demands have been enormous and he admits his head is still spinning about how far he has come in such a short time.

"I think it was 14 months ago I had played two games for Canterbury and the rest was club rugby," he says. "It is happening pretty quickly. It has surpassed all my expectations, probably 10-fold, and I'm still getting used to it.

"I set a few goals at the start of the year and I have achieved them. Now I have got to reset them and decide where I want to go and how I want to do it. I need to sit down and spend a bit of time doing that to work out what is going to be the best way to achieve them.

"I'll probably take a couple of weeks off and have some time out with family and friends and unwind for a bit to think about the rest of the year and 2011."

He won't be available for Canterbury until he's had a couple of weeks' rest and, ironically, his return to action might be at the expense of Ross.

And baby brother makes four

It's already remarkable that three Whitelock brothers are contracted to the Crusaders but soon there could be four.

The youngest sibling of the Whitelock clan, Luke, enjoyed a big campaign with the New Zealand under-20s and is rated an excellent prospect on the blindside.

He's a member of the Canterbury Academy and should he make the step-up, it will be the first time any franchise has accommodated four brothers.

For Sam, the third brother, the presence of his older siblings George and Adam at the Crusaders has been a major factor in allowing him to settle so quickly. He also credits his brothers for fast-tracking his development.

Growing up in Feilding, the Whitelock boys were never without a rugby ball in the back garden and there was always a requirement to handle physical demands.

"All four of us are just like any other New Zealand kids," Sam says.

"We just want to play as many games for the All Blacks as you can.

"I am third in line and I have played the most out of all of us so I guess there is a little bit of, I wouldn't say tension, more friendly banter.

"They are just happy I am here and really supportive."

Luke is rated by some the pick of the Whitelock bunch. So what does Sam think of that assessment?

"That's what he [Luke] says. He's a good player. Time will tell to see what he does. There is no pressure on him.

"He enjoys playing and if he wants to do it [play professionally], then he'll do it but if he's happy enough doing something else, good on him."