The All Blacks great will forever be linked to Fabian Holland as the pair played for the Barbarians against Fiji at Twickenham earlier this year.
It was the last game of professional rugby for Whitelock and, one can safely presume, the first of many international appearances for fellow lock and All-Black-in-waiting Holland.
"I had the awesome privilege of playing with Dutchie, as we call him, and it was really cool to see what everyone has been talking about," Whitelock told the Otago Daily Times yesterday.
"It was really nice to play alongside him, and I’ve had a pretty cool relationship with him so far. We still message every now and again and he’s asked a couple of things and I’ve been pretty open with what I’ve been able to share with him.
"It was really cool to get to know him as a person and in a pretty amazing environment with the Barbarians.
"Obviously, I was at the end of my career, but he’s just at the start of his career and I’m sure he’ll make a massive impact, not only for Otago rugby and Highlanders rugby, but also New Zealand rugby."
Whitelock, 36, retired after playing a season in France then appearing for the Baabaas.
He left a record 153-cap hole in the second row, where new All Blacks captain Scott Barrett and the progressing Tupou Vaa’i are the favoured combination.
The All Blacks have not always impressed this year, but Whitelock said it was always going to be a period of change with Ian Foster departing and his longtime Crusaders coach, Scott Robertson, taking over.
"There’s been challenges along the way, whether that’s with the opposition or who’s been injured or who’s come back from injury and all those things.
"I know they’re working really hard to get some new systems and processes in place and I think we’re just starting to see people kind of understand what they are now and how best to make the most of it."
Perhaps the ultimate test awaits the All Blacks tomorrow morning.
They play the powerful Irish in Dublin, and Whitelock has itchy feet just thinking about the juicy clash.
"Ireland are a great rugby side. They have been for a long time. And these are the ones you want to play because they’re the most challenging. They’re the ones that if you perform to your highest level, you still might not get the job done."
Whitelock is doing a belated southern swing to promote his biography, View From The Second Row, which came out in August.
He said he was still working on the transition from All Black to fulltime farmer and family man.
"They are the key priorities at the moment, which is awesome, but I’m still getting used to Saturday mornings and not having to have your rugby stuff ready.
"I actually found my mouthguard the other day as I was going to watch the test in Wellington. It was one of those little moments.
"Footy really consists of watching my kids play touch now. It’s been really cool to go to some of those things because I’ve missed a lot of cross-country, a lot of athletics days, Rippa rugby games, and it’s nice to actually be a bit more present around my wife and kids.
"The farm takes up a lot of time and I’m really happy with how it’s going at the moment. Typical farmer — a little bit of rain would be nice in the Hawke’s Bay — but I know that people down here have had pretty tough weather, so I’m not going to complain."
Whitelock might have made his name with the Crusaders, but the product of a Feilding factory of rugby players has some skin in the South.
Younger brother Luke played 53 games for the Highlanders and older brother George got his start with Alhambra-Union and Otago, and both played for the All Blacks.
"George pretty much led the way for not only myself, but our other two brothers. He was the one that had to do everything first, so he learned so much and passed on that knowledge to us.
"There’s no way I could have achieved what I did without George, Adam and Luke. If you’re mates with one of us, you’re mates with all four. If you know or spend time with one of us, you end up getting to know all of us really well and all our wives and children, too.
"It’s pretty cool to have so many connections and good friends all around the country, and Dunedin’s a special place for us. George’s best man still lives here, so I caught up with him this morning."
Whitelock relished getting a chance to play in the last test at Carisbrook, in 2011, while his last test on New Zealand soil was at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
