Sitting behind a desk wearing glasses and a collared shirt, All Blacks rugby lock Brodie Retallick could pass for a mild mannered, if oversized, bank clerk. Three seasons after taking over from Thorn, Retallick was crowned World Rugby player of the year and elevated to the All Blacks leadership group. I would like to think that I am a wee bit game smarter than I was four years ago. In barely a year, Retallick arrived from obscurity and became the player the All Blacks were looking for. What these numbers reveal is both the physical robustness of Retallick and his importance to the All Blacks.

Source: New Zealand Herald June 20, 2016 17:02 UTC