How long can the master stay on top?
South Africa’s John Smit became the first ever World Cup-winning captain to play at the following instalment of the global showpiece this year, so what are the odds of Richie McCaw following suit in 2015?
The legendary All Blacks openside flank rounded off a stellar career by lifting the Webb Ellis Cup in front of his home crowd at Eden Park on October 23, but he is not finished yet and is hopeful of seeing out the four-year contract he signed with the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) earlier this year.
With numerous Super Rugby and Tri-Nations titles under his hefty belt, and having scratched the All Blacks’ 24-year World Cup itch in fine style this year, the question of what he has left to achieve in the game begs to be asked.
The All Black talisman fought a niggling foot injury all year, missing a major portion of the Super Rugby season and playing through considerable pain just to stay on the pitch at the World Cup.
The screw that had been inserted in the Crusaders stalwart’s foot due to a stress fracture caused him considerable agony and saw him sitting out training in an attempt to limit the pain as the World Cup neared its conclusion.
McCaw underwent surgery to remove the screw and receive a bone graft soon after guiding his country to glory and will consequently only be able to begin training in just under three months’ time, which rules him out of the beginning of the Super Rugby competition next year.
However, the seasoned warrior has come out this week and explained that he wants to continue playing for the All Blacks for as long as he is good enough to don the jersey. So, the hunger is clearly not waning… but, the question is, can his body hold out?
McCaw is about to turn 31, and while he is likely to be in good shape in four years’ time it is hard to believe that he will be able to match the intensity that has marked his career and helped him to stand out in a generation littered with quality openside flanks.
The professional era has seen playing careers lengthen considerably, but this may also be a bit of a double-edged sword as South African fans discovered this year.
Former Springbok skipper Smit is, like McCaw, a legend of the game. Despite this, his appointment as captain for the World Cup was met with scepticism in some quarters, and although his performances at the tournament were solid, the impact that his Sharks teammate Bismarck du Plessis consistently made as his replacement was obvious to all.
Smit is the only victorious captain to lead his side in defence of their title, with David Kirk, Nick Farr-Jones, Francois Pienaar, John Eales and Martin Johnson all finishing their Test careers within two years of hoisting the hallowed trophy, so how likely is it that we will see a 35-year-old McCaw in England in 2015?
McCaw will no doubt play an important role in mentoring the next generation of All Blacks leaders in the near future but it remains to be seen whether he will be delivering the same standard of performance in four years time.
There will be plenty of challengers for the All Black No.7 jersey with young colts Matt Todd, Luke Braid and Sam Cane all expected to stake their claim in the near future. McCaw is a master of his trade and has set new benchmarks for the younger generation to aspire to so it is difficult to see him being happy to fall off the pace.
In terms of the All Blacks captaincy the most likely replacement seems to be No.8 Kieran Read who is undoubtedly the best player in his position and has already been groomed for the role – having taken the reins at the Crusaders during McCaw’s injury-enforced absence this year.
Any good openside will tell you that timing is everything and it will take a brave man to drop a player of McCaw’s legendary status (just ask the Australian cricket selectors who are currently puzzling over how to break the news to Ricky Ponting) so the way he approaches this transition period could either enhance or take some of the shine off his considerable legacy.
With over 100 Test caps and every title under the sun to his name McCaw has nothing to prove to anyone, which is why he has pledged to stand aside before he does any damage to his reputation, and it certainly will be interesting to see how he chooses his moment to ride off into the sunset.
By Michael de Vries
What to you think? Is it too early to speculate about McCaw’s future? Or will he make it all the way to 2015? Let us know below.
