McCaw the master
17 Oct 2011
MARK KEOHANE, in his weekly Business Day newspaper column, says Richie McCaw has earned the right to lift the Webb Ellis Cup.
McCaw was asked, 48 hours before the World Cup semi-final against Australia, who the better player was: ‘David Pocock or yourself?’
McCaw said: ‘We’ll see after 80 minutes on Sunday.’
There was no sarcasm in his answer. It was the confirmation of the challenge of a (younger) player who has been the form opensider of the World Cup tournament.
Pocock was immense against SA, legally or illegally.
All brilliant opensiders operate on the fine line of public opinion and referee interpretation. McCaw has been the master for the last decade. Australia’s George Smith was brilliant and, if his knees last, Heinrich Brüssow will make a similar impression.
Former Bok captain Corne Krige was often quoted as saying the Test played within a Test between two specialist opensiders is far removed from anything the public sees on TV or at the ground. McCaw versus Pocock was huge. This was the grand master against the next generation of specialist ball-winning scavenger. At least it was sold as such in the week.
But that would be too simple.
As All Blacks coach Graham Henry pointed out: an opensider will always be the beneficiary of how good the loose trio is and also the dominance of his tight five. In this regard it wasn’t McCaw versus Pocock, it was the All Blacks versus the Wallabies and the result was more emphatic than a handbag grab-and-run. This was a full-on assault; a legal beating in which the All Blacks smashed the Wallabies in the collision and at the gainline.
I hate the term ‘the modern game’, so I’ll refer to it as the game played in 2011 where there is so much influence in referee interpretation and not always that much faith in the principle and application of the law.
What is not about interpretation, however, is who wins the gainline battle. That is where the game has become so much like rugby league. Win the physical dominance of who takes the ball in, and who makes that one metre in the tackle, and you have momentum that is so unlike the game of 10 years ago.
Back then it was about creating mismatches and having a fullback run at a prop. It was about more numbers on attack, and the laws at the breakdown forced a fight for the ball that ensured teams committed numbers to the breakdown.
Not any more.
The game played in 2011 allows teams to have rugby- league type defence. Mismatches are rare because most props look like centres and some even have more skill.
This was a game won with gain-line dominance. The Boks’ game (against Australia in the quarterfinal) was a game lost in that area.
Lineout statistics, field position and possession dominance have little bearing if the gainline collisions are lost.
Wales will attest to that. Sure, they were heroic and magnificent in playing 14 against 15 in a World Cup semi-final for 63 minutes but when you go 25 phases with the ball, don’t break a tackle, and can’t get an extra metre, then the credit has to go to the men dominating the collisions. France did that, even though they showed no such enthusiasm with the ball.
The All Blacks were so different in class and in ambition. Their defence was matched by an opening 20 minutes as good as you will see in a World Cup semi-final.
The All Blacks were brutal at every collision, and McCaw was either first with the tackle or the first man in support. He was colossal. I’ve tried, but there isn’t a superlative to do his performance justice. He has been functioning on desire, ambition and one leg at this tournament. The foot injury that kept him out of most of Super Rugby will require a further operation after the final. He has been imposing as a leader and as an ambassador for the game.
I often say we begrudge New Zealand more than we dislike McCaw because he isn’t one of ours. This is a guy who has won 90 of his 102 Tests, and 45 of them have been against Australia and SA . You had to be at Eden Park to appreciate his contribution fully.
Likewise his humility a minute from full time. To understand that one must remember the taunt directed at McCaw in the 2003 World Cup semi-final by Wallabies scrumhalf George Gregan as the All Blacks turned over the ball with a minute to go and the game lost. ‘Four more years,’ said Gregan.
With a minute to go at Eden Park on Sunday evening, referee Craig Joubert called a scrum, the crowd counted down the minute and the big screen focused on a McCaw and Wallabies scrumhalf Will Genia.
The New Zealand crowd chanted: ‘Four more years … four more years …’
‘What did he (Genia) say to you?’ asked a journalist at the press conference. ‘He said well done and I said thanks.’
No taunts of ‘four more years’.
‘It’s important we enjoy the win, get our feet back on the ground and respect the challenge of the French,’ added McCaw, whose most famous quote at this World Cup has been: ‘Every player has a World Cup moment … I’ve had two.’
New Zealand deserves this World Cup win and Richie McCaw deserves the appropriate World Cup moment.
He has earned it.
620 Comments
Pages: « 1 … 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 [12] 13 » Show All
17 Oct 2011, 20:31 pm
I’m saying don’t paint all bloggers with the same anti-AB brush and I don’t need a moment.
Third time lucky?
17 Oct 2011, 20:39 pm
@once more just take a break on the beach, dear springboks, once more…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-509: If the Boks won every head-to-head encounter with NZ between now and RWC2015, they’d still be in arrears on the historical ledger. That’s how wide the gap has grown.
17 Oct 2011, 20:40 pm
Tackler. Please answer if you so deign.
Do you live near Lower Hutt.
17 Oct 2011, 20:45 pm
Oh dawn that’s precisely my point I’m not, read the entry again! Really dawn…,,
17 Oct 2011, 20:46 pm
AB’s deserve this cup. We have been inconsistent and lately really mediocre so no whinging about refs from me. They’ve been the top ranked side in the world for the majority of the professional era so I think we should give credit where its due. Even if they dont win the final nothing changes that. We’re ranked 4 right now and I think if Wales beat Aus for 3rd place we could slip lower (not sure about that). Anyway France dont deserve this so I hope AB’s get it together for this final and keep the cup in the SH at least.
17 Oct 2011, 20:51 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-554: hey uzekakubi namhlanje! ubahlelele ngokutsweba qha
17 Oct 2011, 20:56 pm
Wha’?
17 Oct 2011, 21:03 pm
Transie: bageza qgith! Lol
17 Oct 2011, 21:04 pm
Dawn: read the entry, stop asking questions, read it!
17 Oct 2011, 21:07 pm
Listen don’t talk to me like I’m a kid.
You will regret it.
17 Oct 2011, 21:12 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-560: @mpundulu(mpundulu)-559: hahaha can the two of you calm down!
17 Oct 2011, 21:13 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-222: celt
17 Oct 2011, 21:14 pm
Best of luck to the All Blacks this weekend. It would be a travesty of justice for the French to win, after their poor showing so far. The Kiwis are looking good, I loved watching them dismantle the Wobblies on sunday.
17 Oct 2011, 21:15 pm
Dawn: listen my little one I welcome it bring it if you can!
17 Oct 2011, 21:15 pm
Dawn: I’m waiting…..,
17 Oct 2011, 21:24 pm
@Dawn, doll seems u hv a stalker, want 2 borrow one of my dogs 4 protection, they well trained.
17 Oct 2011, 21:24 pm
You seem to have this bee in your bonnet that everyone is against you for supporting abs.
So what if you do. No-one gives a toss.
When I was a kid my whole family were anyone but the boks. They still are. Who cares.
S true what helen says. Coupla weeks ago you were all boks this and boks that.
That’s what we call tweegevreet.
17 Oct 2011, 21:28 pm
@mako(mako)-563:
God I hope you aren’t a Sharks supporter. You sound more inclined to Province….in which case the defence rests.
17 Oct 2011, 21:31 pm
And here’s the haai who wanted to shoot me earlier.
17 Oct 2011, 21:32 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-569:
Just pulling your socks.
17 Oct 2011, 21:41 pm
Dawn: thats it!!! This can’t be your full onslaught, you dribble on about your family and then plagiarise helen’s rubbish and you believe that to be some sort of coup de grace. Dawn you don’t have the aptitude or imagination to battle with me, just be sated that I’ve some spreadsheets to go through tonight or I’d have slaughtered you.
17 Oct 2011, 21:44 pm
Well done AB’s, looking like champs. Enjoy it kiwis, wish boks were there to challenge. Jealous!
17 Oct 2011, 21:46 pm
That’s what you think.
And I never dribble about my family I respect them.
And it is the truth. They are the same as your family.
Aptitude? Imagination? I have them in spades.
17 Oct 2011, 21:47 pm
@Great White Shark(Predawn)-568: lol mako is a BIG guppy supporter bwahaha
17 Oct 2011, 21:50 pm
Spreadsheets. Am I supposed to be impressed.
Rampant faux World Bank capitalist, grew up in Spain nogal, so of course dumb local proletariat don’t have the nous to “take him on”.
Gimme a fecking worker’s break.
17 Oct 2011, 21:52 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-571: hey man wena yeka uhlukumeza lomntana, uyazincokolela kwaye akasiyontanga yakho!
sukuvuyelela, linda zibuye ezinye inkewu eziya zona ke ungagagana nazo. yeka amanenekazi azihleleyo
17 Oct 2011, 21:52 pm
Ok dawn that’s enough you win.
17 Oct 2011, 21:53 pm
if u guys are going to carry on like this i’m going to read my book.
17 Oct 2011, 21:54 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-575:
Dawn, i would have taken you around Lower Hutt, lived in Wainuiomata for about 30 years, thats a suberb on a hill you might as well say above Lower hutt.
But i now live in Christchurch which was one of the most beautiful cities i have seen but not any more.
17 Oct 2011, 21:56 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-576:
Trans, what is that language, so many “Z” s in the words, playing scrabble against you would be a complete waste of time for me.
17 Oct 2011, 21:58 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-579:
If you ever happen to bump into a certain redheaded Kiwi policewoman called Catherine, send The Great White Sharks regards.
17 Oct 2011, 21:59 pm
Transie: Hayike Ubonile uba ndim yekhile, kange ndim qhale, uzekum ingathi umemiwe! Lol
17 Oct 2011, 22:00 pm
Now I’m off to occupy Wall Street.
17 Oct 2011, 22:02 pm
@Great White Shark(Predawn)-581:
Shark, i am a very honest and responsible citizen of Christchurch, i will not bump into Catherine i asure you.
But if i am in the local strip club and see a red head in a police womens uniform, i will send my regards
17 Oct 2011, 22:03 pm
Transie: kodwa u-unfair kutheni ungathethi naye, kutheni indim ombi! Kutheni? Hayi I-conspiracy lena, eka-Bryce! Hehehe
17 Oct 2011, 22:03 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-580:that is my mother tongue isiXhosa. LOL
17 Oct 2011, 22:04 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-586:
Oh ok
Ndiyavuya ukukwazi
17 Oct 2011, 22:04 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-584:
Sounds even better.
17 Oct 2011, 22:05 pm
Transie: what book are you reading?
17 Oct 2011, 22:06 pm
Hurricane on your own head be it!
I’m going in alone.
17 Oct 2011, 22:08 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-590:
Are you seriuos?
17 Oct 2011, 22:11 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-582: wenze kakuhle ke xhego. kaloku akufuneki uzenze uIdi Amin ebahlalini abangena bungozi!
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-585: uyayazi nawe emakhaya ukuba ubusokoliswa ngumninawa wakho nide ningombane ixhego la lizakujhwaza WENA kuqala libuze apha kuwe ukuba luqhushululu lwantoni olu lwenzeka emzini walo. akukhathaliseki nokuba ngumninawa obhanxileyo la-chap izakuthi wena phelisa yonke lonto
17 Oct 2011, 22:12 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-589: it’s an autobiography…light reading
17 Oct 2011, 22:13 pm
I never joke.
17 Oct 2011, 22:15 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-594:
When you going?
17 Oct 2011, 22:18 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-587:
Kei te p?hea koe?
17 Oct 2011, 22:20 pm
I don’t know have to make enquiries still.
And organise leave and tickets and visas and all that jazz.
17 Oct 2011, 22:20 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-553: Dawn, I live in Welliington city, and Lower hutt is part of the wider Wellington region. Anything I can do for you?
Piri, Nonu, Jane etc are frequently seen around Wellington, they look like a friendly and fun loving bunch of guys. Piri in particular turns out for all sorts of community and kids orientated events, and would play club rugby 7 days a week given the opportunity.
17 Oct 2011, 22:25 pm
@corporal punishment(corporal punishment)-598: and eat all the chicken on offer by the looks of it
17 Oct 2011, 22:27 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-596:
lol good thank you.
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