Thursday 17 September 2015 10:22, UK
Four years ago, as Richie McCaw was lifting the Webb Ellis Cup, Brodie Retallick was celebrating in a firehouse with no idea of the path he was about to set forth upon.
Standing at 2.04m tall and weighing in at a lean 121kg, the 24-year old is set to become one of the stars of the World Cup tournament - just don't say the word 'defence'.
"I was not there in 2011 and the way I see it, it is the team of 2011 who are the defending champions - I am here to win it again," explained Retallick to Sky Sports.
"My role is to make sure that I play my part and contribute to our overall performance in the 2015 World Cup."
His rise to the top has been meteoric and when New Zealand won the tournament on home soil in Auckland, the down-to-earth Kiwi had no idea of his potential or had any hope of becoming an All Black.
"I watched the 2011 final in a fire station - friends of ours were in the fire brigade and set up a grandstand and a big screen, so it seemed like the best place to go," added Retallick .
"It was pretty nerve wracking and pretty special to experience the World Cup in our country, but I had no idea that I would be part of one four years later.
"At the time, I had a contract to play for the Chiefs and I did not think playing for the All Blacks was ever going to be a possibility. It's pretty special to be here now."
The special one
'Pretty special' is one way to describe Retallick, and the likes of Springbok lock Victor Matfield and England coach Stuart Lancaster have heaped praise on his formidable skills.
His size and power are crucial in the set-pieces, while his pace makes him an effective ball carrier. Add his ball skills, a sharp rugby intellect plus one heck of a tackle, and you may get some idea of the player he is.
And his secret to it all? Pure enjoyment.
"The way I play the game reflects the things I like to do on the field," explained the 2014 World Player of the Year.
"I started playing rugby for the enjoyment of it - what's the point if you don't? It's not something I get told to do, I can't say that I have revolutionised the second-row position, I just go out and enjoy it. It all started in the back yard - I have a brother who is a first-five (inside centre), so it was always a contest to see who could stiff each other."
Superstitions
Retallick relishes the physical challenges and has enjoyed his tussles with South Africa and England in recent years - although he has some regrets over his first visit to Twickenham.
"Every team brings their own challenge but I really enjoy playing against the South Africans - we've had some great Test matches over the years," he said.
"England are always tough - the games at Twickenham recently have been really hard. They are a really physical side and I suffered my first defeat as an All Black at Twickenham to England."
On December 1, 2012, England pulled off a convincing 38-21 win over New Zealand and inflicted the first loss on the All Blacks since their 2011 World Cup win.
That loss has had a lasting impression on Retallick, who now has a pre-match ritual thanks to that game.
"That loss has made me a bit superstitious," laughed Retallick.
"All our socks have L and R on them - after that loss to England, I was in the change room and took off my boots, only to notice that I had them on the wrong foot. I'm not saying that had anything to do with the loss, but from that day on, I have made sure my socks are on correctly!"
World Cup history?
New Zealand are looking to do what no team has ever done before in a Rugby World Cup - win back-to-back titles. And while the man from Rangiora says the win in 2011 eased pressure in one way, it has raised it in another.
"After 2011, there is a little less pressure on the team, but the pressure is always there no matter what game we play. Teams like to beat the ABs, so we need to be able to deal with any pressure - if you don't, then it just wears you down. As a team, we need to walk towards that pressure and embrace it.
"We tried a few different things during the Rugby Championship and have had a few camps so we are expecting to hit the ground running and get off to a great start.
"There has been some talk about only having three locks [Retallick has formed a formidable partnership with Sam Whitelock with Luke Romano as back-up], but Jerome [Kaino] has been doing pretty well at lock too. He's been thrown in the deep end a bit, but he is a huge physical presence on the field - he has not played a lot of lock, but he's been doing really well."
Always learning
Retallick has had his fair share of lows in 2015 - a shoulder injury in February playing for the Chiefs against the Crusaders put serious doubts on his World Cup place, although thankfully it was not as serious as first thought.
However, the four weeks he spent on the sidelines gave him a different perspective as he insisted on being involved as much as he could.
"Being the water boy is not something I want to do too much of, but I want to stay involved as much as I can - if being the water boy is what it takes, then that is what it will have to be," joked Retallick.
"But it did give me a different perspective - you can see a lot more sometimes from the sidelines - or from a different angle so when someone comes on and tells you something, then you listen and take it on board.
"I've taken that lesson into the All Blacks - it's just part of what we do, always looking to get better and improve. Just because we win, it does not mean we have played to our best so we are always looking to do better."
Brodie Retallick was speaking at the premiere of 'The Making of Black', a documentary film by adidas and the All Blacks about the history of the famous All Blacks jersey and the groundbreaking technology that adidas has introduced to the latest All Blacks kit. For more information, visit www.adidasrugby.com and join the conversation on Twitter and Instagram @adidasUK
