McCaw running scared

McCaw running scared

3 May 2006

The Bulls can already claim a moral victory over the Crusaders after the defending champions left captain Richie McCaw out of the match 22 altogether.

McCaw does not have fond memories of Loftus Versfeld, or perhaps much memory of it at all after he was smacked unconcious in the opening minutes of the corresponding fixture last year by prop Richard Bands. The Bulls went on to record an emphatic 35-20 win.

Coach Robbie Deans goes into the must-win – for both teams – match with something of a second-string pack, which could prove suicidal against the vaunted Bulls forwards.

The Crusaders camp confirmed McCaw had no serious health issues other than Deans describing him as still being “flat”. But the Bulls will be forgiven for thinking that McCaw – one of the outstanding looseforwards in the world – is just scared of what awaits him in the rarefied atmosphere at Loftus.

Australian players voted Loftus the worst place to visit, and it would be surprising if the New Zealanders actually found a trip to Pretoria appealing. McCaw certainly seems content to sit on the sidelines and avoid any nasty clashes with the big Bulls pack.

One wonders just how he is going to cope when he returns for the All Blacks in the Tri-Nations with the match also set to take place at Fortress Loftus. The second Tri-Nations Test between the two is also at altitude, with the Boks and All Blacks clashing at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium a week later.

Deans, however, believed McCaw would be ready to front the Brumbies in Christchurch next weekend where there was a need to have fresh players.

It’s a huge gamble with the Crusaders’ playoffs chances on the line over the final two weeks of round-robin action.

Crusaders team: 15 Leon MacDonald, 14 Rico Gear, 13 Casey Laulala, 12 Aaron Mauger, 11 Caleb Ralph, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Andrew Ellis; 8 Mose Tuiali’i, 7 Tanerau Latimer, 6 Johnny Leo’o, 5 Reuben Thorne (c), 4 Chris Jack, 3 Greg Somerville, 2 Corey Flynn, 1 Wyatt Crockett. Replacements: 16 Tone Kopelani, 17 Campbell Johnstone, 18 Craig Clarke, 19 Brad Mika, 20 Kevin Senio, 21 Cameron McIntyre, 22 Stephen Brett/Scott Hamilton.

By Andrew Hollely


573 Comments

Pages: « 1 2 3 [4] 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 … 12 » Show All

  • 151.Blouste: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:07 pm

    Richie_7

    And how wonderful are the sader travelling boet?
    A draw to the wooden spoon contenders and a loss to one of the bottom dwellers…..Great travelling poephol

  • 152.cane: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:07 pm

    “McCaw Running Scared”

    I’ve never read such ****.
    Who is this fat oke Bland or Bands. He’s so fu@ken famous I’ve never heard of him!

    There is only one person in SA Mccaw is scared of.

    Thats right.
    Kitty.

    McCawsome—-Keep up the good work.

  • 153.Kitty: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:07 pm

    Anvil, you shouldn’t slate something you haven’t seen! I can promise you that you wouldn’t be disappointed with the real thing!
    You’re all talk but you’d buckle at the knees if you met me in the flesh….

    And Andrew, i have a job… one that allows me to spend a lot of time yanking muppits’ chains!

  • 154.Frazer: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:07 pm

    Richie_7 – I would really like to thank you for coming too…

  • 155.Loafer: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:07 pm

    Agreed cab

    He could do with another season of sharpenning in the S14 and CC.

  • 156.TigerShark: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:08 pm

    Yoda

    You tell him son!

    Just as an adendum, to all the Bulls fans on the blog. Well done on Saturday. Good game. I humbly hold my ankles.

  • 157.mcCawesome: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:09 pm

    Yoda, He’s not the biggest man, but I have been impressed with the limited amount that I have seen of him. He is 184 cm and 96 kg, and he is only 20 years old.

    As I said, he played in the sevens, so he has very good speed at the breakdown and good ball schools. Crusaders have obviously seen something special in him as he was not expected to be drafted.

    The other side of the scrum loosie is Johnny Leo’o and he is 185 cm and 100kg and about 28.

    Indicates the Crusaders are going to play a certain expansive game plan, will be interesting to see how it works out. Tight 5 Battle will be critical in this regard.

  • 158.TigerShark: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:09 pm

    Andrew, Kitty is in the drug business…

  • 159.Kitty: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:09 pm

    TigerShark – Welcome!

    Now come here for your punishment!!
    ;->

  • 160.Blouste: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:10 pm

    Cane

    He is the oke that ran 50 metres for a great prop try against the mighty AB’s. He owned Carter and Then did it again on Loftus to your beloved McCaw. Unfortunately out with an injury this season. Don’t you watch rugby boet ?

  • 161.yoda: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:10 pm

    And all the NZ’s on the blog? Is the server for the silver fern down?

  • 162.Stan: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:10 pm

    Tigershark,
    Hold your ankles?
    That sounds like the WP team in the dressing room after the game!

  • 163.cab: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:11 pm

    would’ve backed the Saders to take it with McCaw, but without him, fancy the bulls to steamroller, its not going to be pretty, but effective.

  • 164.mcCawesome: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:11 pm

    Dan Carter for Man of the Match

  • 165.TigerShark: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:11 pm

    Kitty, I have SO missed you!

  • 166.Loafer: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:11 pm

    Thank you Tgershark

    We made a bit of a meal out of it though. All credit to the Sharks though for attacking the way they did once they smelt blood in the second half.

  • 167.TigerShark: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:12 pm

    Stan, it’s called taking one for the team.

    Anyway after the vitriol I dished out last week I expect I have it coming. No pun intended.

  • 168.Kitty: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:12 pm

    Ah TigerShark! So glad to hear it! these boys are giving me such a hard time here…. meouw!

  • 169.Stan: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:13 pm

    Kitty,
    I will give you a hard time….

  • 170.mcCawesome: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:14 pm

    Sorry, that is on the assumption that Bakkies and Victor play fair

  • 171.cane: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:14 pm

    Yoda,
    You guys are much more fun than a heap of Kiwi’s all slapping each other on the back and agreeing with one another.

  • 172.cab: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:14 pm

    Stan, steek jou piel terug in jou broek.

    is my grammar correct?

  • 173.TigerShark: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:14 pm

    Ah, Kitty, they just dont know how to make a ***** purr, do they?

    Scratching in all the wrong places…

  • 174.Loafer: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:14 pm

    Stan

    That was so lame. I won’t hold it against you though.

  • 175.bluebarb: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:15 pm

    frazer,
    mate for the first time you have made some sense.
    P-115 we all agree dude. you know ****.

  • 176.keeno: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:15 pm

    A SA friend of mine sent the article to me.. both thought it was amusing and agreed that keo is a complete tosser and this website is a waste of my time..

    good day to all!

  • 177.Anvil: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:15 pm

    Whoa ! Kitty,

    You sound like a chick who is desparate to get laid.. but cant so you’d do anything that walks instead ?

    Sorry for slating you ‘Darling’.Did’nt mean to hurt.

  • 178.Kitty: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:15 pm

    Stan – i knew i could count on you!

  • 179.Frazer: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:16 pm

    Again, thanks for coming keeno. It was a real treat…

  • 180.yoda: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:16 pm

    TigerShark, been wondering where you have dissapeared to? Ah, at least you had your week of stirring…

    On the game… Percy looked good on flyhalf and Mathie at 9.For the bulls, well, everybody looked good. Took the foot of the peddal too soon though

  • 181.cane: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:17 pm

    Blouste,
    I wallow in my own ignorance.Now I know the oke .

  • 182.Blouste: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:17 pm

    Cheers Keeno

    Back to your sheep hey cousin.
    Hope not to hear from you again

  • 183.cab: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:17 pm

    keeno,

    take it easy, relax, not everyone agrees with this article, its a winde-up. the Bulls love to think their okes are hard as rocks and the WP okes love to think the Bulls have brains like rocks.

  • 184.Kitty: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:17 pm

    Come on Anvil… stop the hurtful comments! TigerShark is right – you guys just don’t know how to make a kat purrrrrr…..

    Maybe Andrew could scratch me in the right places??

  • 185.Frazer: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:18 pm

    Bluebarb – exactly, I KNOW ****. Thanks for agreeing. Very kind.

  • 186.Blouste: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:18 pm

    No prob cane, your forgiven

  • 187.mcCawesome: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:19 pm

    I’m off – there is little cross-cultural repartie.

  • 188.yoda: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:19 pm

    Cheers keeno, please do stay away

  • 189.Frazer: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:20 pm

    Geez, trust a chick to turn a thread about McCaw being a ***** into a thread about *****.

  • 190.TigerShark: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:21 pm

    Yoda

    Went away for a long weekend. Only got back this morning. Otherwise I would have pitched up a little earlier to take my punishment.

  • 191.Anvil: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:23 pm

    Kitty,

    Was yanking your chain just like you were yankin mine gal.Ok.Will stop yanking now as I dont want to wake the Tiger in that *****.

    Salute!

  • 192.Andrew: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:24 pm

    I’d love to Kitty!!

    But I think Stan and Tiger will get upset. I think Tiger is in love… ;)

  • 193.Kitty: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:25 pm

    HAHA! Sorry Frazer… back to the topic at hand…
    We can speculate all day on whether or not the article is sensational. Point is McCaw isn’t playing! In all honesty none of us believe that he is scared of the Bulls guys or the crowd, but it certainly makes for good, fun banter!

    Friday is going to be hot, and i’ll be there! Wouldn’t miss this one for the world!

  • 194.bluebarb: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:25 pm

    hiya Tiger,
    your boys came bloody close, mate. CC is gonna be bloody close this year.

  • 195.TigerShark: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:26 pm

    Nought Andrew, Kitty just brings out the beast in me.

  • 196.yoda: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:26 pm

    Cane

    Ya been to silver fern, not very interesting, no offence. I see your countrymen (mcCawsome and keeno) have left. Sorry about that. You guys do make it interesting though. As for the heading of the article, most knows its a windup.

  • 197.Kitty: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:26 pm

    You’re forgiven Anvil…

  • 198.TigerShark: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:27 pm

    I hear you Bluebarb.

    I take a little hope from the game. I thought Bakkies was awesome on the day. Awesome.

  • 199.Kitty: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:27 pm

    Bluebarb, CC will definately be interesting this year! Cannot wait! What’s your prediction?

  • 200.Frazer: Reply to this comment
    3 May 2006, 12:27 pm

    hehehehehe…

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