All Blacks captain Richie McCaw has asked people come up with something a little more original, as once again the script labelling his team and the mercurial openside cheats has been unearthed.
Last week an English journalist unloaded on McCaw and the world’s number one ranked team, accusing them of all manner of offences, while during the All Blacks 18-5 loss to the Wallabies in Brisbane, Fox Sports commentators consistently suggested that the visitors were flaunting the offside line.
McCaw, widely regarded as potentially the greatest exponent of openside play in rugby, has often been the target of opposition coaches, players, media and ‘experts’ in his art of playing his role to maximum effect.
Like any class number seven, McCaw’s role among others is to push the boundaries, and he has found allies with like minds – with former and current Wallabies George Smith, Phil Waugh and David Pocock all stating it is part and parcel of the fine line that a fetcher must walk in establishing himself on the field.
Pass It On
68
Last year Waugh told the Sun-Herald McCaw was smart and very quick to pick up on what he could and couldn't do.
"The quicker you get the interpretations right for the game the better you're going to perform in the game," the former Waratahs captain said.
"Richie's a very astute and smart rugby player who picks that up very early in the game, which allows him to push the limits. And that's what he's out there to do."
McCaw in the past has admitted you have to test the boundaries.
"I have to work out what I think is right and what he thinks is right might be different, and you have to figure it out pretty quick," he said.
"I always think what I am doing is the right thing to do, and if he penalises me you think, 'Jesus, I am not going to get away with that today with this ref'.
"So you have to change things a bit, and each of them is a little bit different. The knack is being able to do that. You have to weigh it up.”
"As long as I am not putting the team under heaps of pressure, you have to still be at the point of knowing what you can get away and what you can't. And the odd time, you might get it wrong."
McCaw was in Rangiora yesterday in the All Blacks nationwide visit to 11 towns, and he and Crusaders team mate Kieran Read entertained over 200 people at the band rotunda in Victoria Park.
When asked by the Press what he thought of the latest accusations, the All Blacks captain replied with his typical nonchalance.
“It is just the usual isn't it?” he said.
“You would think there would be a bit more bloody thought go into it than to dig up the old stuff. Look, as a team you don't get carried away with that stuff at all. We go about what we do.”
“That is always the way. You have got to know what you are allowed and not allowed to do. It would be silly to start giving away penalties or do anything stupid. It is a bit of gamesmanship to people, they like to stir things up.”
http://www.allblacks.com/index.cfm?l...sarticle=17356
