Kobe’s Bryn Gatland: Retallick is the best lock in the world

Kobe Steelers fly-half Bryn Gatland believes his teammate and club captain Brodie Retallick is the best lock in the world.

In-form Gatland, 30, who has matured in Japan into being a highly consistent and accurate playmaker, has scored 83 points this season for the new division one leaders.

The former Chiefs fly-half, who was one of new All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie’s first signings at the club in June 2023, was full of praise for the 2015 World Cup winner as talk of a return to Test rugby for Retallick intensifies.

“I might be biased but I still think he’s the best lock in the world,” Gatland told RugbyJP.com.

© Kobe Steelers

“He’s everywhere, his work-rate for a big man is unbelievable, his knowledge of the game and he has a competitive edge as well.

“He leads by his actions and when he speaks the boys listen. He knows his way to the try line too.”

Retallick, 34, who won the last of his 109 caps for the All Blacks in the 2023 World Cup final - before leaving the Chiefs to re-join Kobe - has been in inspired form this year.

Kobe’s inspirational captain is the leading try scorer (12) and has played in all 11 games.

Star-laden Kobe, whose squad also includes All Blacks Ardie Savea and Anton Lienert-Brown, are enjoying a 10-game winning streak and Gatland thinks Retallick’s performances – in an ever-improving competition – has illustrated that he could thrive again on the Test rugby stage.

“The Japanese competition is getting better and better. This is my third season and it’s got stronger. The way he’s competing here, he could definitely still compete at the top level.”

Kobe boasts the best attack in the league with a haul of 505 points in just 11 games and they have the third best defence in the top-flight having conceded 289 points.

Defence coach and former Scotland international Peter Murchie will join Wales at the end of the season after the Welsh Rugby Union announced in February that he would be on board in time for the inaugural Nations Championship which kicks off in July.

Gatland, whose father Warren led Wales to four Six Nations titles and three Grand Slams, believes Wales has made a shrewd appointment.

“Peter has brought a real edge to us, he knows exactly what he wants and he drives us to have really high standards. That can be the difference between being a championship-winning team and not.

“For him, getting that Welsh job, I think he’ll do a really good job. He'll come in, he’ll set his standards and he’s a really competitive guy as well.”

Kobe are aiming to win their first championship since Dave Dillon led them to the Top League title in 2018 as All Blacks great Dan Carter scooped the MVP award.

Gatland explained what they need to focus to maintain their title push with the play-offs looming in May.

“We need to keep building and when we get to the play-offs we want to be full of belief and full of confidence. In recent years we’ve come close but we weren't quite there.

“This season if we continue to just focus on ourselves then we’ll go a long way.”

Kobe hosts Leon MacDonald’s basement outfit Yokohama Canon Eagles on Friday afternoon in Hyogo.