Ironman lock Sam Whitelock is feeling no fatigue as he prepares to put his body on the line against Queensland in Brisbane on Sunday.
Whitelock is the only Crusaders forward to have started all nine Super Rugby matches this season and only against the Rebels in round five was he subbed off.
He was outstanding in the 40-20 win against the Brumbies last Saturday, his diving charge down of an attempted clearing kick leading to Nemani Nadolo's try that took the game beyond reach of the Australian conference leaders.
Whitelock attributes his fine form and fitness to his competitiveness.
"I approach every game as if it's a new game," he said.
"We all want to be on the field for as long as we can. I think my competitive streak takes over."
Whitelock, in his 69th appearance for the seven-times champions, will again play a pivotal part at Suncorp Stadium.
The sixth-placed Crusaders are chasing their fifth successive win while the 13th-placed Reds are out to end a four-game losing streak.
But the venue has brought little joy in recent years for the Crusaders, who have not won there since 2008, the 2011 final being the last of three straight losses.
Whitelock is not reading too much into the Reds' 44-14 loss to the Blues last week.
"Teams can come off a big win or a big loss and completely do the opposite next week," he said.
The 51-Test All Black is aware of the danger posed by the halves pairing of Will Genia and Quade Cooper, and staying focused in defence would be important for the Crusaders.
Whitelock recalled how Genia ran more than half the length of the field to score the winning try in the 2011 title decider.
"Give them one opportunity and you can be under your sticks 50m away," he said.
Share
