New Zealand second-row World Cup champion Brodie Retallick can’t wait to lock up the Fall National Series opponent’s corner later this year and take on Wales’ challenge in Cardiff.
Wayne Pivac’s Guinness Six Nations Championship 2021 welcomes All Blacks (the second-best in the world) to Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Saturday, October 30. This is New Zealand’s first visit to the Welsh capital since 2017.
Wales will then take on the southern hemisphere giants of South Africa, Fiji, and Australia for consecutive weekends.
However, the All Blacks’ performance in the fall schedule is not only exciting for the players and staff, but also for the supporters.
“I love to play in Cardiff,” said Retallick, who has won all of his six All Blacks games with Wales. “Coming to this city and touring there for a week is a real highlight.
“I’ve played at Principality Stadium a few times and it was great. It was great to play in Wales this year.
“I think the New Zealand team may have been on the tour in the past, so after the Covid-19 game, I think everyone is looking forward to a team like Wales. It will make it even more special.”
Since 1953, Wales has never again beaten New Zealand, and the 2021 conference will be one of the most famous achievements in Welsh rugby history – 68 years ago.
Former Welsh star Courtney Meredith was the only player to beat the All Blacks in 1953, and he’s still alive today.
Wales and New Zealand have a long history of exchanges, dating back to 1905. It was the first time the All Blacks played in Cardiff. The New Zealand citizens were also the first rugby touring team to arrive in Wales in the 1888-1889 season.
Retallick is one of the few people who can compete with the Welsh captain Alun Wyn Jones for the best slot in the world.
The New Zealander won a whopping 72 of the 81 tests and can’t wait to argue with Jones again. Retallick believes Jones is 35 years old and the player with the most cap in a rugby match. With 157 caps, he can organize the fifth World Cup in France in 2023.
Retallick, 29, currently plays for Kobelco Steelers in Japan and will return to the All Blacks and against Wales next season.
He has just re-signed with Wales at the club for a few years, so it’s great to be able to keep such a high-quality player in the stadium.
Victor Matfield played at the 38-year-old World Cup and Brad Thorn was also in the game, so you don’t cancel it.
“There is chat that he is the captain of the Lions, so if he returns to the 2023 Rugby World Cup, I will not be surprised.
“All I know is he’s an opponent on the field, but someone with such a wealth of experience and respect in his country and the rugby world should definitely join the Lions.
“In the last 12 to 18 months he has had some great achievements like breaking the cap record. You are talking about a specific Lions player, but with opponents like Alun Wyn and this quality, it is not something to be with the player to fight every day.
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