All Blacks big man Brodie Retallick deserves to be called the best lock to have ever played the game

THE Wallabies must fix their lineout ahead of Saturday’s Bledisloe showdown at Eden Park, but JIM TUCKER asks whether any move they make can counter one very special All Black.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 18: Izack Rodda of the Wallabies takes a lineout ball during The Rugby Championship Bledisloe Cup match between the Australian Wallabies and the New Zealand All Blacks at ANZ Stadium on August 18, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

THE Sydney rail network had a meltdown on Saturday night that rated just below the Wallabies’ lineout disaster across town as far as “technical failures” go.

The Wallabies historically score some of their best tries from lineouts because it is the part of Test rugby today where the defence is kept furthest away.

When you lose seven or eight lineouts on your own throw, all those clever little decoy plays to free Israel Folau or the 60m strikeback try simply evaporate.

We’ve all been mad about such disasters before.

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Brodie Retallick of the All Blacks runs away to score a try during The Rugby Championship Bledisloe Cup match between the Australian Wallabies and the New Zealand All Blacks at ANZ Stadium. Picture: Getty Images

It’s when the remote control stalls unexpectedly on dud batteries or a wire comes loose, you haven’t a replacement and the second half of your favourite TV show is wrecked.

The Wallabies can fix their lineout by speeding it up for starters before Saturday’s kick-off in Auckland but they won’t find a Brodie Retallick in that time.

The All Black was supreme with as dominant a showing as you’ll ever see from a Test lock.

Everyone will celebrate his dummy-and-dash from 30m out for his try but it was Retallick who started it all with a turnover at the other end of the field.

Did we mention that he started pinching lineouts in the opening five minutes or whacked Wallabies with relish all night or shifted the ball like a back?

How good is Brodie Retallick?Wow!!

— Breyton Paulse (@BreytonPaulse) August 18, 2018

Player of the match points:

3 - Brodie Retallick
2 - Brodie Retallick
1 - Brodie Retallick #AUSvNZL

— Guy Heveldt (@GuyHeveldt) August 18, 2018

Brodie Retallick turnover .. 70 metres later try scorer.. soon to be man of the match! Wow.. he’s awesome.. a massive second half from the All Blacks.. the Qantas Wallabies tackled their hearts out in the first 40 - but their line out and scrum was owned.

— Veitchy on Sport (@veitchynz) August 18, 2018

All this in a 204cm frame.

I recall vividly a chat with the wonderful British and Irish Lion Willie John McBride in 2000 when he was astounded at John Eales kicking a penalty goal to win a classic Bledisloe Cup Test in Wellington.

McBride had set the benchmark at lock in the 1960s and ’70s.

“In my day, locks would be in there rucking, wrestling, fighting and jumping. I would have been too shattered to take a kick,’’ McBride said.

McBride said positions evolve.

Retallick has taken lock to a level beyond Eales, who was enjoying a reunion of the 1998 Bledisloe-winning Wallabies in Sydney on Saturday.

Eales’ deeds are still as great as ever. It’s just evolution.

Wallabies boss Michael Cheika will also see the lineout as fixable but he should be angry at the Wallabies’ fadeout late in the game.

The team preaches hanging in at all costs, finding a way to force a turnover with a big tackle if another part of their game is failing them and always fronting up.

It was a limp, disorganised finish and no one should cop that even against the All Blacks.

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Originally published as All Blacks big man Brodie Retallick deserves to be called the best lock to have ever played the game