McCaw has a score to settle
All Black captain Richie McCaw has a score to settle with the Sharks when the two sides meet in a Super Rugby semifinal.
Saturday's showdown in Christchurch will be his first game since McCaw fractured a rib during the 3-0 Test series whitewash of England in June.
While McCaw played through the pain barrier in the second (when the injury occurred) and third internationals, he missed the Crusaders' last three matches – a 9-16 loss to the Hurricanes, to go with victories over the Blues (21-13) and Highlanders (34-8).
That secured second place on the standings for the Crusaders, which meant they had a bye in last week's preliminary play-offs.
And McCaw is now fully recovered from the injury.
McCaw played at openside flank against Sharks in their 25-30-25 loss in Christchurch back on May 17 – when the visitors were reduced to 13 men at a crucial stage in the second half.
However, with an in-form Matt Todd back in the No.7 jersey, McCaw will play with a No.6 on his back this time round.
Making amends for that defeat had strengthened his resolve to beat the South Africans.
"That was two months ago and we are in the semifinals, so things have changed a wee bit,"McCaw told the Christchurch-based The Press newspaper.
"One positive about getting tipped over last time is that there is a bit of steel there which you would expect in a semi. but it probably adds an extra little bit.
"I know, certainty from my point of view, it does."
The All Black captain said enduring the pain of a broken bone in his foot during the 2011 World Cup was a doddle compared to playing with a fractured rib.
McCaw hurt his rib in the second Test against England on June 14 and, thinking it was just bruising, he ignored the discomfort to play the third Test a week later.
During that match, however, McCaw knew something was seriously wrong.
"By the end of that third Test I was pretty sore. With an injured foot it doesn't hurt when you go into contact – it is only when you are running.
"With the foot it didn't even enter my mind, to be honest, towards the end of that World Cup.
"But with the ribs I knew towards the end of the game it was going to cause me a couple of weeks being laid-up. I paid for it afterwards. I was pretty sore."
The All Black captain played the latter rounds of the 2011 global tournament with a broken metatarsal bone – an injury he kept secret from his coaches and teammates.
While the constant throbbing in his foot would have been a reminder that something wasn't right, the flank at least had some control over where he put his limb.
His fractured rib, which most likely was surrounded by damaged cartilage, was in a much more inconvenient place; if an opposition player ran down his channel McCaw had to grit his teeth and be prepared to take the pain.
Inhaling, he admitted, was not pleasant. Sleeping after that third Test was extremely difficult.
He didn't bandage his ribs during the tests: "No. I put a pad on and that was about it.
"They probably got a bit worse during that [third] game but they were pretty sore."
Source: The Press
