Past failures fuel Blacks’ resolve
22 Oct 2011
New Zealand captain Richie McCaw says premature exits from previous World Cups have taught them valuable lessons that should serve them well in the final.
The All Blacks are heavily favoured to beat France at Eden Park on Sunday, but there is a discernible sense of trepidation among the New Zealand public given their team’s history of underachievement at the tournament.
Asked whether the team’s resolve is driven by the fear of unexpected defeats at previous World Cups, McCaw said: ‘A lot of guys have been through one if not two experiences that haven’t been too flash and you’d like to think that just hardens the resolve and the desire.
‘From my point of view, what happened back in 2003 [defeat to Australia] I never understood what it took to win a World Cup. Perhaps didn’t fully understand again in ’07 [defeat to France] but those experiences you realise that to win it you’ve got to be the best team in that tournament regardless of what’s happened beforehand and you’ve got to produce the good when it counts.
‘We’ve got men who’ve been in situations, they’ve been around a long time and there’s a lot of desire there. We’ve got guys that are good enough but that guarantees nothing. People say who deserves what, but at the end of the day in a final it’s not about who deserves what. It’s about who goes and plays the best rugby on that stage, in this game, that’s what we’ve got to do. What’s happened before means absolutely nothing. We’re against a team, the French, who’ll all be thinking exactly the same.’
McCaw is the most successful captain of his generation, with only the World Cup title alluding him. There are those who have argued that he cannot be considered a truly great skipper until he completes his haul with the one the Blacks most covet. McCaw doesn’t agree, but did acknowledge his deep desire to succeed on Sunday.
‘You’d like to think the things you’ve done through 10 years, regardless of what happens tomorrow, mean something,’ he said. ‘But this is the biggest game that I’ve played in and it’s one you want to do well in. If you’re going to pick a game before you start playing any rugby what one would you want to play in? It would be a World Cup final.
‘I won’t be around forever but hopefully when I leave one day people will say that all the history has gone before, all the legacies that have been set have been upheld if not raised.’
McCaw said he is not the superstitious type, but responded quickly when asked whether he had ever touched the trophy. ‘No. I don’t think you should touch it till you’ve earned it.’
160 Comments
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22 Oct 2011, 11:59 am
waihekes fantastic. some awesome fishing spots.
22 Oct 2011, 12:00 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-49: when was the play off for 7th place? I must have missed that game with England.
Viva la France!
Down with Arrogance!
22 Oct 2011, 12:01 pm
I will leave you kiwi kids to play in kindergarten.
Have fun but don’t gnash those bitter teeth too hard.
And watch out for those ghosts.
22 Oct 2011, 12:02 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-40:
no they haven’t but don’t let that get in the way of your story
22 Oct 2011, 12:02 pm
at least there will be a SA at the final tomorrow. shame your rugby players simply weren’t good enough
22 Oct 2011, 12:03 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-55: shame your boys haven’t been good enough for 24 years.
22 Oct 2011, 12:04 pm
Go Sharks!
Go France!
22 Oct 2011, 12:04 pm
Poops was demanding South Africans support the kiwis last night… as if.
22 Oct 2011, 12:06 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-58: was I , again, show me the post were that was indicated?
still fabricating things to try and ease your hurt huh??
lmfao what a serious loser, like your Bokkes, useless!!
22 Oct 2011, 12:08 pm
The Storming of l’Parc de Eden.
They will sing songs about it for centuries.
Allez les Bleus!
22 Oct 2011, 12:08 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-56: shame your boys caught the early flight back out of NZ… did they miss their mommies? did they miss the rancid biltong of SA supporters such as yourself..
enjoy watching the final tomorrow..
really, I hope you get great satisfaction watching two teams compete, knowing your team was absolute rubbish and couldnt make it bwahahaha
22 Oct 2011, 12:11 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-51:
just back from a day on Waiheke today, in fact. Bit of vino, bit of salt’n'pepper squid, some lovely fresh snapper
lovely juvvly
22 Oct 2011, 12:11 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-58: so no proof of this alleged asking for SAs to support NZ claim?
thought so..
weak, like your rugby team, w e a k !
22 Oct 2011, 12:12 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-55:
dont you just LOVE the rich irony of Bok fans cheering FOR the ref tomorrow ?!
22 Oct 2011, 12:13 pm
must ask our SA mates, this 4 years of building for the WC..
how did that turn out?
22 Oct 2011, 12:13 pm
Up the Blues!
No-one in SA has written you off!
22 Oct 2011, 12:16 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-64: , Im ecstatic by it all… but what gets me even more is the bitterness thats on display, and the wild accusations without proof ala wooden spoon..
karma certainly has come back to get those who deserve it, couldnt have asked or wished for better personally..
22 Oct 2011, 12:16 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-65:
and how about those
*ahem*
‘injured’ players
bet theyre feeling fresh now.
all those eggs in the one RWC basket-case
that worked out well, then.
No wonder Proff Noakes has shifted his attention to the “injustice…..of the Immortals”
No wonder Boy George now abides by “honour and bravey in defeat”
*chortle*
22 Oct 2011, 12:16 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-66: still waiting on proof?
liar!
22 Oct 2011, 12:19 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-68: classic isnt it..
still, those players will surely be rested now, and they can perform admirably in the Curry cup, that competition that runs in the country that managed an impressive 8th spot in this years WC..
thank goodness Argentina are joing the comp next year, should give the Aussies and us a run for the title, sick of allowing SA to just make up the numbers..
22 Oct 2011, 12:19 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-42:
Ma’a Nonu is the best looking of all our women.
22 Oct 2011, 12:20 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-65:
A bit better than 24 years.
22 Oct 2011, 12:20 pm
As if a Bok would support the kiwis when demanded…
Bleating like a little lamb about it now, so defensive.
Bok fans don’t take orders from kiwi fans, in case you didn’t know.
So here’s a big blue no thank you, Viva la France!
Arise the ghost of 2011. What will the excuse be this time?
22 Oct 2011, 12:22 pm
May good conquer evil arrogance and entitlement tomorrow.
May David conquer ugly Goliath (and Paddy).
Allez les Bleus!
22 Oct 2011, 12:23 pm
Just to remind you how I got us there (by keeping the Boks out):
http://blogs.sport24.co.za/David-Mac/bryce-lawrence-lord-of-the-whistles-17-Oct-2011
NZRU will probably have to sell Old Bill, just to make up what the paid me, BUT WE DID IT!
22 Oct 2011, 12:23 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-73: still no proof of this “demand”
why cant you provide proof..
what a sad little liar..
waaahhhh waaaahhhhh
22 Oct 2011, 12:24 pm
bleating little lamb.
as if.
22 Oct 2011, 12:24 pm
how very sad, look at the reaction from SORE LOSER saffa fans..
conspiracy, the refs, cheating kiwis..
yes, yes, and yes..
we fokked the Bokke something good, its what you jarpies deserve…
22 Oct 2011, 12:25 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-77: run along loser, like your rugby team..
ues lasses
what a bunch of girls you guys are… little snivelling girls..
keep crying, it will ease your obvious pain..
22 Oct 2011, 12:25 pm
How ironic.
The Kiwis are the Kings of excuses.
24 looooong years of excuses.
22 Oct 2011, 12:26 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-78:
We did, didn’t we!
22 Oct 2011, 12:26 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-79: like 24 long years of pain? No wonder you are a suurgat.
22 Oct 2011, 12:29 pm
It took a real kiwi, a real gentleman of a kiwi, to ‘fess up and admit what every kiwi thinks. Mains said the refs have turned this RWC into a FARCE and that he wanted a RWC final against 1 the 2 best sides of the tournament – South Africa or Wales.
Now there is a proper kiwi.
22 Oct 2011, 12:29 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-82: youre the sour bitter one here..
were you at OR Tambo to welcome back the geriatrics who dressed up as Springboks and crashed out of the WC so early?
like lambs to the slaughter werent they? must have been that aura they prided themselves on.
doot doot oodle doodle oot doot do do (sing it with me)..
22 Oct 2011, 12:29 pm
Sigh.
22 Oct 2011, 12:31 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-78:
But you must give ME (and to a lesser extent NZRU) more credit, with the cunning plan we hatched to stop the Boks from keeping us out of the final! The money is good for me, and it was worth it for the NZRU, the All Black team, and the All Black fans! Maybe you fans can start a BDL fund, so that I can get even richer, because without me you would have been on your way home!….. errr sort of.
22 Oct 2011, 12:31 pm
Id hazard a guess Luke Watson isnt the ONLY SA who wants to puke on the jersey now..
they must be lining up in the streets to al;l have a good chuck (le)..
still, it would really make the jersies indicative of the rainbow nation then huh..
22 Oct 2011, 12:31 pm
it’s called “returning serve”.
22 Oct 2011, 12:32 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-83:
Would that be the same Laurie Mains who revealed that the ABs were poisoned, with somewhat coincidental timing, prior to meeting the Boks in a RWC Final, held in SA ?
22 Oct 2011, 12:33 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-83:
This Mains is no patriot. We got to the final, by hook but mostly by crook. And I was the main weapon in our arsenal. Lots of money, no regrets!
22 Oct 2011, 12:34 pm
poppa
95 was Suzie
07 Dan Carter was targeted and Wayne Barnes.
You guys been bleating often!!!
Just remember we have won every RWC final we been in. One at home and one away.
If the All Bleats win tomorrow…………well we will all remember how the way has been paved for them.
Uncle Paddy and co sorted it out.
22 Oct 2011, 12:35 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-89: he had to come up with a excuse – no matter how credible – for the baying masses back in NZ, for what was yet another disappointing crash and World Cup burn… any excuse, just as long as there was one. Could have said aliens dictated the outcome…
@@@@@chortlebellyguffaw@@@@@@
22 Oct 2011, 12:36 pm
Safas whinging about the ref
*sigh*
music to my ears
22 Oct 2011, 12:37 pm
@jondood(jondood)-91: thats right… your teams failure with 70% possession to EVEN kick a drop goal shouldnt be mentioned huh?
the fact your team couldnt run a backline to save themselves shouldnt be mentioned either huh?
the fact they were on the plane home two weeks agop will be mentioned again and agian and again.. because its so funny, and has shut up so many of you arrogane Saffa supporters..
8th? the “might” of SA rugby could only manage 8th? lmfao
22 Oct 2011, 12:37 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-93: should be, you kiwis set the tune.
22 Oct 2011, 12:37 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-92:
“83.wooden spoon said:
22 Oct 2011, 12:29 pm
It took a real kiwi, a real gentleman of a kiwi”
C O N T O R T I O N I S T A !
22 Oct 2011, 12:38 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-94:
I stopped them good, didn’t I?
22 Oct 2011, 12:39 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-95:
simply beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeautiful
sing us another one, Boy George wannabe !
22 Oct 2011, 12:39 pm
Bp, you going to the final tomorrow?
at least there will only be one Saffa at the game, the rest will be home crying into their biltong and even their boerwors will be getting slapped furiously..
lol.. couldnt even beat the Wobblies, with so much ball… they may have size and strength, but they certainly dont have any smarts..
22 Oct 2011, 12:41 pm
When was the 5th to 8th place play off matches between all the losing quarterfinalists to determine SA ended 8th behind Ireland, England and Argentina?
Must have missed those.
Did NZ finish “8th” in 2007?
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