Sam Whitelock, the veteran All Blacks lock, will break Richie McCaw's Test caps record of 148 off the reserves bench against Italy in Lyon on Saturday.
One of the biggest revelations as the team for the crucial World Cup pool match was announced this morning is that one of Whitelock's nicknames is "Gandalf", the fictional wise and hugely influential character from the Lord of the Rings.
Like wizard Gandalf, one of Whitelock's mantras on defence, at least, during his long and hugely successful career with Canterbury, the Crusaders and the All Blacks is "Thou Shall Not Pass", and yet one cannot hold back the sands of time.
This World Cup represents the 34-year-old's final assignment with New Zealand before he heads to French club rugby and it remains to be seen whether he will regain his starting role if and when the All Blacks make the knockout phase of this tournament or whether there will only be more cameo appearances off the reserves bench behind Brodie Retallick and Scott Barrett.
Should it matter? Will it sting to not earn a starting role as he moves past the great McCaw and into second place on the all-time list behind the now retired Wales lock Alan Wyn Jones, who collected 170?
No, it shouldn't matter — Whitelock has forever been an advocate of the team-first mentality required when wearing the black (and red and black) jersey. The bottom line is his selection in the No.19 jersey is a testament to Barrett's form in the second row over the past six months. Plus, Retallick needs game time.
But it would be only natural for Whitelock to feel a tinge of disappointment that he won’t have the honour of staying on the Parc Olympique Lyonnais pitch once the formalities have been done at 8am on Saturday NZT.
As for this being significant? "It's the order that we have for this game," head coach Ian Foster said after being asked whether this represented a changing of the second-row pecking order.
Scotty Stevenson breaks it all down – using Griffin’s biscuits. (Source: Breakfast)
"I won't commit to saying it's the absolute pecking order, but we feel that right now it's the right one for this game. We've got four locks that we're pretty happy with [regarding] their form. We've got Brodie who's obviously coming back from injury, has missed a bit of rugby and played a little bit in that first game. Against Namibia he played 55 minutes, so he really needs more time.
"Let's see what happens in the next week or so."
Foster was also asked whether Whitelock's unfamiliar role on the bench took the "romance" out of his special occasion.
"I don't think it takes the romance out of it, and this is a credit to Sam — every game he's doing something new. He equalled a record last week he's going to beat it this week. He's going to beat it [again] next week…
"Every day is a bit of a statement of something he's achieving. We want to honour that achievement because he's earned that… we'll do all that celebration of that achievement after this game. Right now, I think what the team needs is bigger than the individual but it's very much on our minds and it's a very special occasion."
In naming Whitelock, prop Tyrel Lomax, hooker Dane Coles and loose forward Sam Cane on the bench (along with Tamaiti Williams for his first World Cup match), the All Blacks have an enormous amount of experience available in their pack for the final quarter of a game they must win to progress out of the pool stage.
The big issue, though, as Foster weighs up combinations for a potential quarter-final against Ireland in Paris, is whether men such as Cane, who is returning from a back injury), and Whitelock possess the dynamism required to make an impact off the bench. That may not be needed against an Italian team ranked No.11 in the world, but it will be against the No.1-ranked Irish.
Cane will almost certainly take the captaincy off Ardie Savea for the final pool game against Uruguay and beyond, but the same certainty cannot be applied to Whitelock's role.
It was up to the two starting props Nepo Laulala and Ofa Tu'ungafasi this morning to talk about Whitelock's contribution to the All Blacks and New Zealand game in general.
"I'm very grateful that he's been around while I've been here," Tu'ungafasi said.
"One thing I love about Sammy is that he has a special ability to connect with anyone — young or old. He gets along with all of us and is fun to be around.
"He always knows what to say and when not to talk. He's a great man. You can trust him out there whatever the situation, time, place or circumstances. You know that he's going to get his role right and get the job done — be the first man on the line and go forward."
It was Laulala, who also played alongside Whitelock at the Crusaders, who came up with the Gandalf revelation. He also accidentally came up with another nickname for a man who has stayed at the peak of his powers since his Test debut in 2010.
"I don't know how he's done it this long — at this high level, too," Laulala said.
"It goes to show the kind of person he is and the character of the man. He's done amazing things. He brings a calmness to the group which is exactly what you need in these big-pressure tournaments — to the younger kids and even some of the leaders in the team. He's sort of like the Godfather. It's awesome having someone like that in the team that we can all rely on."
Whitelock has given and received loyalty at the top level over many years.
And, staying with that theme, as Whitelock adapts to a different role against Italy, it's highly probable that he will be hoping to make an offer via his performance that Foster cannot refuse.
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