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 [2] 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 … 13 » Show All
17 Oct 2011, 11:28 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-49:
I’ll take your sarcasm and insults as an indication of the healthy respect (fear, perhaps?) you accord the Stormers…
17 Oct 2011, 11:29 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-43:
funny i could have sworn he was like a long lost love child of yours when he played or the bulls and could do no wrong….my how things have changed….
17 Oct 2011, 11:30 am
@Gunther(gunther)-48:
Yes, but with Schalk isolated, I doubt whether Bissie could have prevented it after throwing in to the lineout. That, to my mind, was the fault of the other forwards in not getting to the breakdown quickly enough.
17 Oct 2011, 11:30 am
Oh! Some people’s obsession with WP rugby is just hilarious.
I concentrate on my team! The rule of law! When you obsess with other teams it is out of jealousy. Some great youngsters coming through. They took WP to the semi-finals and didn’t have 8 Boks to assist them. Shows names mean absolutely nothing nowadays. LOL
17 Oct 2011, 11:38 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-49:
easy now meneer.
let us worry about our boys and the brokebacks about theirs.
if they finish above us in the super 15 next year things will become very tough for us here
17 Oct 2011, 11:41 am
@David(David)-53: schalk was shadowed by heinrich going in to barge on to the aussie defence and heinrich was manhandled in a stegmann-esque way! pocock straight up walked to the side of the harphazadly formed “ruck” & kicked the ball to radike samo’s hands and bang lambie was being forced to tackle samo. the rest is history
17 Oct 2011, 11:43 am
Why the antagonism at my innocent question regarding WP’s team next year?
Don’t you want me to be interested in your team?
Other than Jantjes, Habana and the Brock, I actually think you have a decent team going there – if maybe a bit on the oldish side.
I think WP will be quite competitive next season. No, I don’t think they’ll win the tournament, but they’ll do well.
17 Oct 2011, 11:44 am
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-54: but when you have “development” coach Pine Pienaar steering the ship and Heineken trying to synchronise all the structures to play the same type of “heads up” rugby then one has no choice but to busy themselves with their rival’s business.
17 Oct 2011, 11:44 am
@Gunther(gunther)-55:
Why? This is the culmination of their 11 year building process. We are at the start of ours.
No problem if they end above us. If not now, they never will.
17 Oct 2011, 11:45 am
Don’t worry Tac! There’ll be two WP teams next year. One in CT and one in PTA. Wahahaha #bullsstructurefail
17 Oct 2011, 11:45 am
isnt this a Ritchie Mccaw appreciation thread? lets get back to the adulation guys
17 Oct 2011, 11:47 am
Here we go, its “lets worship the All Blacks time”…
Here’s a suggestion, why don’t we disband the Boks once and for all and everyone join the Caped Crusader **** and all prostrate ourselves in front of the Reechie and awesome AB altar.
Lets all be Bok haters and AB lovers…
Comeon, it is so easy:
Gushing, sycophantic Press
Refs up our team’s arses
Allowed to Rig a WC and come up smelling of Roses
Allowed to threaten Boycott and still be adored
We can insult the “yarpies” all day, knowing we’ve scre.wed them for years in S15 and 3N.
Actually, why bother with the rest of the Rugby universe, I reckon there should just be one team allowed to play International Rugby… The AB’s, who should be allowed to play with themselves to g.ay abondon.
Everyone can then just support the AB’s and forget about any other team.
As for this wonderfully Rigged World Cup… the incredible, awesome, infallible, wonderful, amazing, godlike, idolic All Blacks have won it already.
Why aren’t we all celebrating the modern miracles of the Sporting Universe… The All Blacks…
Legends in Black.
17 Oct 2011, 11:48 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-57: there’s a thread on SW if you want to pay homage to the “aura”
you know you do.
“Sharksworld will arrange to deliver messages of farewell and, of course, of appreciation for all that Smitty has done for us over the last 14 years as a Sharks player and captain. Leave your message to John as a comment here and we will ensure that all (appropriate) messages are delivered to John and his family before they leave.
Farewell, Barney and thanks for all the great memories.”
17 Oct 2011, 11:48 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-49:
hehehe…
congratulations to your team’s 5th place log finish…
they did very well considering…
and you do have nice jersey’s…!!
17 Oct 2011, 11:48 am
First time that my Rapport software has indicated that Keo is an unsafe website.. I suppose we all know that Keo is dodgy so no surprises..
I see Keo of the influence of refereeing on the game in 2011 (modern game)… He should say that Refereeing with a minimal degree of competence is almost impossible even though I think that Craig Joubert probably deserves his appointment and therefore brought some respectability to the game.
17 Oct 2011, 11:48 am
Wasn’t Keo the one who said this is Australia’s tournament to lose?
17 Oct 2011, 11:50 am
What do you call a bunch of boys (bulls) that’s below a bunch of brokebacks (wp)?
17 Oct 2011, 11:51 am
@RugbyStudent(RugbyStudent)-67: rental??
17 Oct 2011, 11:51 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-62:
you get another crack in 4 years time, you might even get past the 1/4′s next time around
17 Oct 2011, 11:52 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-62: Yoh! …….You are bitter dude. Maybe you need to take a few days off work or something. Take some time out, and I’m not trying to be nasty, seriously, you need someone to talk to.
17 Oct 2011, 11:53 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-49: Howz the CC Semi’s preparation going at the Bulls?
17 Oct 2011, 11:53 am
@youknowwho(youknowwho)-65: Rapport software? Do you load the internet from a floppy and download to a cassette? Does it come with free Vuisboek and Skaaip?
17 Oct 2011, 11:53 am
@RugbyStudent(RugbyStudent)-67:
Lucky losers?
17 Oct 2011, 11:53 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-58:
how did the kings heads up rugby go on the weekend?
I didn’t catch the game?
17 Oct 2011, 11:54 am
@RugbyStudent(RugbyStudent)-66: Yip. Those were his words. Also he called an Aussie win for yesterday if I’m not mistaken.
17 Oct 2011, 11:54 am
@Gunther(gunther)-74:
17 Oct 2011, 11:54 am
Maybe the French can save us all from collapsing into a state of continual prostrating, worshipful diarrhoea of the Infallible Almighty All Blacks.
The Undeserving French against the Entitled All Blacks… Naah, the miracle can never be allowed to happen…
The Beatific All Blacks will threaten Boycotts forever.
17 Oct 2011, 11:55 am
I reckon the Bulls will have their best backline in years next season, and with one or two additional tight five purchases, not a bad pack of forwards either.
17 Oct 2011, 11:56 am
@ufo(ufo)-64:
I don’t know if you noticed, but the Bulls decline started when their rather deicious cheer leaders went on strike.
17 Oct 2011, 11:56 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-78:
An almost all Province backline! Good for the future I think.
17 Oct 2011, 11:56 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-72:
langers loves vleisbook.
he can post photos of hugo chavez and pretend he is a playa.
17 Oct 2011, 11:57 am
@Gunther(gunther)-74: We got ripped off with cards again! ********! I won’t be surprized if it was Marius Jonker again who screwed us over.
17 Oct 2011, 11:57 am
The last great Bok fetcher was Boland Coetzee.
17 Oct 2011, 11:57 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-62: lmao..
I think you may have hit on some very valid points, I think brycie was especially interested in the jarpie one you mentioned..
whats the difference between a teabag and the Boks? a teabag stays in the cup longer
Have you heard about the Bokkes new bra?
All support but no cup.
What’s the difference between the Bokkes and an arsonist?
An arsonist wouldn’t waste five matches.
What do you call 15 guys sitting around the TV watching the Rugby World Cup final?
The Bokke
What’s the difference between PDV and Viagra?
At least Viagra gives you a semi.
Peter devilliers gets handed a mobile phone and is told “This is Bryce Lawrence’s phone”
PDV asks “How did you know?”
“It has 15 missed calls” comes the reply
A man’s body was found in the harbour wearing an Bokke jumper, pink panties, fishnet stockings and a ***** up his arse. Police removed the jumper to avoid any embarrassment to his family.
17 Oct 2011, 11:58 am
I wish I was an All Black loving Caped Crusader….
I could hate myself and my country with loving abandon…
I could be an ultimate hypocrite…
I could disguise my bitterness with All Black loving entitlement…
I could just be a c.unt, plain and simple…
17 Oct 2011, 12:00 pm
Whats the difference between South African All Black worshippers and Le.sbian s.ex? Nothing. They’re all a bunch of c.unts bouncing off one another.
17 Oct 2011, 12:00 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-74: we lost badly
17 Oct 2011, 12:00 pm
Bulls have purchased young talent very wisely for sure.
i hope they are all they are expected to be. Otherwise it’s a lost cause.
Wp may have an ageing team, but they are hardly over the hill.
Brock the Rock is getting better year by year,
We have a weakness at:
Flyhalf (if we pick Grant)
Scrumhalf cover
Loosehead (Kitshoff is still too young)
TH cover
I would be on the lookout for some signing news at the end of the season.
They have been very quiet.
17 Oct 2011, 12:00 pm
@rossoneri(rossoneri)-45:
good for the frenchies.
they get my respect and thats why they are a lot of peoples 2nd team.
they did us a good turn in 95 too, with the semi game in the rain.
they could have objected to playing the game in those conditions and got an automatic qualification through to the final if it had swayed the ref to call the game off.
very sporting and the end of the day and very honourable.
17 Oct 2011, 12:00 pm
Keo you are royal c*nt of note. You and all your so called expert got the Australia **** wrong. Yes, you guys got the outcome of the Bok/Australia game correct but you okes don’t have the balls to say we got the PDV led Boks wrong, the Boks had a plan to win the RWC and they delivered on it. It had to take a crook by the name of Bryce Lawrence to stop the Bok machine.
Bryce Lawrence should never be allowed on a rugby pitch again, he is as bent as Hansie Cronje or the Pakistan cricketers.
17 Oct 2011, 12:00 pm
Did you hear that thieves broke into the Springbokke Trophy room last night?
Police are appealing for information on the whereabouts of a glass cabinet and a carpet.
17 Oct 2011, 12:01 pm
@David(David)-79:
hehehe…
of course…!!
you know there’s k@k innie land when the cheerleaders go on strike…!!
17 Oct 2011, 12:01 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-77:
Loser.
8)
17 Oct 2011, 12:02 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-74: but at least we were in the final…where are the bulls on the log? i haven’t checked
17 Oct 2011, 12:04 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-91:
Enjoy it while you can…
17 Oct 2011, 12:05 pm
Albert Einstein arrives at a party and introduces himself to the first person he sees and asks, “What is your IQ?” to which the man answers “241.”
“That’s wonderful!,” says Albert. “We will talk about the Grand Unification Theory and the mysteries of the Universe. We will have much to discuss!”
Next Albert introduces himself to a woman and asks, “What is your IQ?” To which the lady answers, “144.”
“That is great!,” responds Albert. “We can discuss politics and current affairs. We will have much to discuss!”
Albert goes to another person and asks, “What is your IQ?” to which the man answers, “51.”
Albert responds, “So, what do you reckon happened to the Springboks?”
17 Oct 2011, 12:05 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-94:
So do the Kings still get promoted or will it be Boland?
And does this have any influence on the King’s S16 participation in 2013?
17 Oct 2011, 12:06 pm
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-95:
he’ll be able to use that one next year as well
17 Oct 2011, 12:07 pm
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-95: hehe nah, thats enough for now… we still havent won anything yet and still have to beat a team that hasnt performed to its true potential… quite nervous about that actually..
so no wild celebrations here, head down praying and will be as nervous as all hell by next weeks game..
17 Oct 2011, 12:07 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-91:
You enjoying it mate? You know the saying about celebrating another team;s loss …
Pages: « 1 [2] 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 … 13 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.