All Blacks coach Dave Rennie has shed light on when veteran lock Brodie Retallick might be available for the national side again.
Retallick played the last of his 109 Tests in the 2023 World Cup final defeat to the Springboks in Paris.
He then left New Zealand to play in Japan Rugby League One and has just enjoyed a sensational campaign with the Kobelco Kobe Steelers, finishing as the competition’s leading try-scorer with 17.
Kobe are coached by Rennie, who will return to New Zealand at the end of the Japanese season.
“He’s been the best player in Japan, he’s been phenomenal,” Rennie said. “So yeah, I would also say he’s the best lock in the world.
“He’s just won the award for top try-scorer, but it’s all the other stuff that Brodie does over there which is outrageous. He trains exactly the way he plays.”
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Rennie admitted he has discussed the possibility of an All Blacks return with Retallick, but confirmed he will not be available this season.
“No Brodie this year,” Rennie said. “He’s unavailable to do a lot of long-distance travel.
“The biggest travel Brodie does nowadays is on the Shinkansen [bullet train] to Tokyo. He wasn’t excited about six weeks in Africa [for the Greatest Rivalry tour].
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“He loves the All Blacks and I reckon he’s good enough.
“It will take discussions, so we’ll push that back at the moment and focus on this year, and then we’ll talk about Brodie next year [for the World Cup].
“I reckon he’s earned the right, if he was available and the system allowed it, to potentially be available next year.”
Rennie added that former All Blacks coach Scott Robertson had also previously held similar conversations with the lock.
NZ Rugby does not select players for the All Blacks who are not contracted to one of the domestic clubs, ruling out any overseas-based players.
Photo: Paul Miller/Getty Images
The post Rennie: Bok tour didn’t excite Brodie appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
