Richie McCaw’s insights that could help All Blacks topple Boks

SPOTLIGHT: The All Blacks are guaranteed one thing when they face the Springboks in four Test matches across Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, and that is adversity.

New Zealand will be tested in ways they have yet to experience under Dave Rennie this season, despite producing impressive performances in the Nations Championship last month.

They were far from their best in the season opener against France, but gained momentum against Italy and, most notably, Ireland before arriving in South Africa.

However, the Greatest Rivalry Test matches will take them to places they have not yet been.

The four Tests, three played in South Africa and the final one in America, will force the All Blacks to improvise, think on their feet and problem-solve under immense pressure.

Few know how to deal with that type of pressure better than former New Zealand captain and All Blacks legend Richie McCaw.

McCaw played 148 Tests for the All Blacks between 2001 and 2015 and was part of a golden generation that won back-to-back World Cup titles in 2011 and 2015.

While he will always be remembered for the success the Kiwis enjoyed under his leadership, the former Crusaders skipper was also part of some of the darker moments in New Zealand rugby history.

McCaw was only 26 years old when he captained the side that was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 2007 World Cup after suffering an 18-20 defeat to France in Cardiff.

As a result, the All Blacks received heavy criticism back home following that loss, and McCaw admitted it was tough to take as a young captain.

“We got named chockers, and all sorts of things after 2007 and that was pretty hard to take,” he said at a Discovery Ink gathering in Johannesburg.

“The thing is, if we’re honest about it, it was probably fair because we couldn’t handle the pressure.

“We had a team that was good enough to beat anyone, but we couldn’t handle the pressure when it really counted.

“Four years of hard work came down to that one day, and we didn’t have any answers.

“You’ve got to be good enough to execute when it counts, and so, as much as I thought it was unfair, someone was going to nail it, and someone was going to win the World Cup.”

Of the 148 Tests he played, McCaw won a staggering 131 and captained his side on 110 occasions.

He faced the Springboks 26 times during his career, and led New Zealand to victory 20 times, losing just six matches.

In 2009, however, the All Blacks suffered three losses against the Boks in Bloemfontein, Durban and Hamilton.

McCaw said those losses played a huge part in his development as a leader.

“When we lost three matches against the Springboks, it was pretty hard,” he shared.

“I started to think, geez, are we actually good enough to beat the Boks.

“The difference was pretty small, and 12 months later, we had another shot, and it didn’t take massive changes, and we managed to turn the tables.

“There wasn’t much between those two teams. One year we lost three, the other, we won all three, and I guess those were the learnings.”

Despite playing alongside some of the best players of his era, McCaw believes it was the collective effort, rather than reliance on individuals, that made them successful.

It is a similar philosophy adopted by the Springboks, who believe in getting the right person for the job rather than the ‘perfect player’.

McCaw said that’s something they also focused on during their years of dominance.

“I would much prefer to have a guy next to me that gives an 8/10 every day than a guy that will give you a five, a ten or seven some days.

“That comes with character and people who are prepared to put the team ahead of themselves.

“It’s harder and harder these days from what I can gather with social media, but it was definitely something that contributed to why we had success.

“The best players in the world, your Dan Carters, always had a team-first approach no matter what, and they drove it and made it easy for everyone else.”

McCaw will be in South Africa for Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry and admitted he would have loved to play in the historic series during his career.

Now, he’ll have the opportunity to pass on his knowledge and share his experiences with the current crop of All Blacks.

After everything McCaw achieved in an All Blacks jersey, his experiences of both triumph and adversity could serve as inspiration for New Zealand as they prepare to face their biggest rivals.