Richie Mccaw retires

[waiopehu oldboy]

Richard Hinds in today's Telegraph:

"McCaw’s problem was he wasn’t a Wallaby
For all our bleating about Richie McCaw’s supposedly dirty tactics and constant yap, his only real sin was not being Australian.........."

Behind the paywall but stuff.co.nz have this choice quote:

"There is a very simple reason McCaw deserves rich praise. He was bloody good. Too good for the Wallabies far more often than not.

"The vital element in any great rivalry is not the differences but the similarities. McCaw was reviled in Australia because he played the game the way Australians like to think they play it. He was tough, talented, bloody-minded. A winner.

"For all our bleating about McCaw's supposedly dirty tactics and constant yap, his only real sin was not being Australian. It's not too late to say we wish he was."

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

*13...

Yup, regained in '03. Fox have muddied the waters somewhat by only including the 10 when he was captain on their graphic.

 

[mudskipper]

Amazing career, Richie McCaw is unique... an inspiring leader & valuable player for his country... I wish him all the best... Always enjoyed watching him play super rugby or internationals...

Enjoy the view from the top pilot McCaw... Safe travels...

 

[Dan54]

The part where he encouraged the crowd to boo him.

The part where he never had a genuine compliment for the opposition team.

Don't get me wrong, he is undoubtedly the greatest of the modern era and probably shoe in for GOAT status, but beyond his excellence he's not necessarily easy to like.

But I don't expect Kiwis to be able to see that. Just like in my eyes the Aus cricket team never cross the line with their sledging.

You obviously never listened to his after match speeches, he was pretty glowing about Wallabies in the presentation of the World Cup, mind you I suspect you had turned off your tv by then?? I thought he usually gave teams credit, but then you gotta hear what you hear as you say.

 

[Mr Doug]

I'm sure Richie is not lost to the game. He is bound to appear for the "Classic All Blacks" in the future, especially when they play the "Classic Wallabies"!

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

PlanetRugby have put up a tribute vid:

 

[Sully]

 

[mudskipper]

Ok Sully, you win thats very funny...

 

[Sully]

Ok Sully, you win thats very funny.

I saw it a couldn't help myself. I'm a big fan and actually think he could have easily kept going.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Lame meme like that would be an ill-fitting contrail for this thread.

The lauding from the foreigners so often comes addended with a denigratory snipe. "What a great player, congratulations, ps, in from the side hands off 7 haha, I only drink when Mccaws offside HAHAHA".　I suppose it's a coping mechanism given the punishment he's meted out to Australia over the last 14 years.

The man himself took the lame jibes of the losers in glacially good grace for all those years but I imagine privately, the "Mccaw's a Cheat" thing, The Narrative of the Lost and Butthurt, only served to stiffen his resolve. As if it needed any stiffening at all. Probably forged the fucker in fire. "Oh really? And George Smith doesnt do that at all? Yeah well fuck you, get ready to lose another fucking rugby game."

NZ without Mccaw?

Won 12, lost 7.

68%.

On the field for 1/3RD OF ALL BLACKS VICTORIES.

EVER.

IRON WILL.

IRON HEART.

​

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ haters gotta hate, but to be fair to @ Sully he did say

I saw it a couldn't help myself. I'm a big fan and actually think he could have easily kept going.

That's an interesting stat on the AB win ratio sans McCaw. Here are 20 others:

http://www.espnscrum.com/newzealand/rugby/story/281993.html

 

[Grant NZ]

Ok Sully, you win thats very funny.

Until you think about it and realise that 'enter from the side' applies to pretty much every other vehicle ever.....

 

[Bullrush]

Anyone who thinks that McCaw was slipping a little bit in terms of his on-field play just isn't watching the game.

IMO, only Pocock could possibly rank higher in terms of best 7 in the world but only because he is so much better than everyone over the ball.

But take a re-look at the break-down stats forcefan did for the RWC and the Bledisloe and RC. McCaw is consistently one of the top 3 All Blacks at the breakdown - if not No.1.

He could have easily gone another year I reckon but I think the timing right now is perfecter the ABs - and as usual, Richie is all about the team first.

Legend. Greatest ever.

 

[Sully]

From memory he had 54 ruck involvements in the final. Fucking massive.

Did I get that right?



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[qwerty51]

George Smith is a better overall player but ok. He just smashed Toulon.

Greater longevity too.

 

[mudskipper]

Until you think about it and realise that 'enter from the side' applies to pretty much every other vehicle ever...

Its good to have a back up profession.... Transferable skills of value

 

[mudskipper]

George Smith is a better overall player but ok. He just smashed Toulon.

Greater longevity too.

I have to agree with that... George is absolutly amazing...

 

[Tomikin]

I have to agree with that. George is absolutly amazing.

Hard to compare, Smith never had the calibre of players around him that Richie had, but Smith didn't win as much as Richie..

Both absolute legends.. I still loving Smith over there still showing them they are rubbish.

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[ACT Crusader]

Hard to compare, Smith never had the calibre of players around him that Richie had, but Smith didn't win as much as Richie..

Gee Tomikin you make it sound like Smith had a bunch of mugs around him. Bernie, Gregan, Burkey, the world class Nate Sharpe, and a few others might have something to say about that.....

 

[Tomikin]

Gee Tomikin you make it sound like Smith had a bunch of mugs around him. Bernie, Gregan, Burkey, the world class Nate Sharpe, and a few others might have something to say about that...

Burke and Sharpe!! See he had to play with none Brumbies!!!

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