Richie McCaw’s hard work pays off

Richie McCaw, almost 10 years to the day when he first captained New Zealand – against Wales in 2004 – will serve as All Blacks captain for a record 100th time when they face Wales once again.

Richie McCaw will play his 100th cap as captain of the All Blacks when New Zealand face host Wales on Saturday. Phil Walter / Getty Images

CARDIFF // “Not a natural athlete … He had four feet and couldn’t catch a cold.”

So remembers New Zealand coach Steve Hansen’s withering first take on a teenage Richie McCaw when the All Blacks captain joined Hansen at Canterbury provincial rugby union team.

But the openside flanker, now 33, has gone on to display a desire for self-improvement that will see him win his 137th cap against Wales on Saturday.

The match takes on added importance as McCaw, almost 10 years to the day when he first captained New Zealand – against Wales in 2004 – will serve as All Blacks captain for a record 100th time.

As an indication of his longevity, notably in a position that demands physical prowess, only 34 players in the history of rugby union have won 100 caps or more.

Only Ireland’s Brian O’Driscoll (84) and South Africa’s John Smit (83) have come close in international matches as captain.

“We’re all very proud. He’s a straight up and down bloke who’s probably our greatest rugby player ever,” Hansen said of McCaw, who guided the All Blacks to World Cup victory on home soil in 2011.

“It’s nice to be here to share that moment with him, but he’ll be the first to tell you this game’s not about him but about the team playing well enough to walk off the park and be very proud of our performance in getting the win.”

Hansen hailed McCaw, a three-time IRB World Player of the Year, as a driven individual who mastered hard graft at the coalface of modern rugby – the breakdown situation where flankers are the jackals seeking the ball.

“I saw him play in a school game in a tournament in Christchurch,” Hansen said. “He was about 17.

“Richie’s not a natural athlete. When he first arrived he had four feet and couldn’t catch a cold. But what he did have was a massive capacity to learn and want to learn and want to be better.

“He was very, very good over the ball. And he had a massive, massive ticker. He wouldn’t mind getting dealt to because he just kept coming back.

“You could run him over with a tractor and he’d still get up and have another go, so there’s courage there.

“But the thing that’s made him the great player he is, outside of his mental strength, which is phenomenal, is his ability to want to get better.

“And even now, with 136 Tests, he wants to get better … that’s phenomenal for an athlete who’s been around as long as he has.”

Ahead of the match at a sold out Millennium Stadium, Wales defence coach Shaun Edwards hailed McCaw as the epitome of a New Zealand side that enjoys an unprecedented win ratio above 90 per cent since their World Cup quarter-final defeat by France in 2007.

“We all have the utmost respect for Richie McCaw,” Edwards said. “He epitomises the All Blacks team.

“He is a very competitive player, and he is also very, very aggressive.

“You can’t beat the All Blacks unless you play with controlled aggression.”

Former Wales captain Ryan Jones called McCaw “one of, if not the greatest Test rugby player of all time”.

Lancaster tells England to prepare for a struggle against Samoa

England coach Stuart Lancaster has warned the 2015 World Cup hosts to expect a fired-up Samoa side playing their “cup final” at Twickenham.

The third of England’s four November internationals, the clash with the Pacific islanders always looked the most winnable of a Twickenham series that has already featured contests against world champions New Zealand and South Africa and culminates with next weekend’s clash against World Cup pool rivals Australia.

But successive defeats by the All Blacks and the Springboks have turned the match into an important fixture for an England side bidding to end a run of five successive defeats, albeit four have been at the hands of New Zealand. The match was imperilled when the visitors considered boycotting the match in protest at their treatment by the Samoa Rugby Union.

“We’re expecting physicality, pride and passion from Samoa,” said Lancaster. “This game is their cup final. It’s a great opportunity for them and they’ll be hugely motivated.”

Ireland want to close out the season on a strong note

DUBLIN // Six Nations champions Ireland can wrap up a highly successful year by beating Australia in their one-off rugby union Test provided they cope with the huge expectations which have grown with each victory, coach Joe Schmidt said.

The Irish, whose fortunes have been turned around by Schmidt since he replaced Declan Kidney after the 2013 Six Nations, are seeking their seventh successive win and hope to complete the double over Australia and South Africa for the first time since 2006.

Ireland have reached No 3 in the world rankings after beating Georgia 49-7 last Sunday.

However, Schmidt dismisses those as distractions, although he admits the atmosphere has changed since defeating the Springboks 29-15 two weeks ago.

“We’ll find out on Saturday if the boys can handle the greater expectations,” he said. “We’re feeling more pressure this week. I’m not sure you can shield the team from the public expectation and I sense they’re aware of it.”

Schmidt said the Wallabies present a different challenge than did the Springboks. “They have a bit more art and science about them but they have a few players capable of blunt-force trauma,” he said. “They have dynamic players and are capable of hurting you from deep like they have already shown on this tour.”

Australia coach Michael Cheika took over following the resignation of Ewen McKenzie last month.

He reacted to a 29-26 defeat by France last weekend by making four changes to the line-up. The fiery coach expects a positive reaction to the first defeat of the tour. “All our changes will bring a new energy into the team and I know everyone is looking forward to the opportunities our match against Ireland will bring,” he said. “It is imperative we regain our winning ways.”

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