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Richie McCaw: ‘Being an All Black is a privilege – one day you won’t be one’ Richie McCaw: ‘Being an All Black is a privilege – one day you won’t be one’
(35 minutes later)
For a tortured soul, Richie McCaw spends a lot of time smiling. He also, when we meet at his riverfront hotel in Chicago, spends a lot of time explaining that he’s not a tortured soul. But he smiles as he does so.For a tortured soul, Richie McCaw spends a lot of time smiling. He also, when we meet at his riverfront hotel in Chicago, spends a lot of time explaining that he’s not a tortured soul. But he smiles as he does so.
At 33, the man who will lead New Zealand against England on Saturday has plenty of reasons to smile, among them 134 caps and the gratitude of a nation. Three years on from lifting the All Blacks’ second World Cup, he is 12 months out from trying to become the first man to lift it twice. In the Windy City, where a rampant All Blacks defeated the USA 74-6 on Saturday, he has been wined, dined and even photo‑bombed by a tattooed Maori. He is a wanted man who seems perfectly happy to be wanted.At 33, the man who will lead New Zealand against England on Saturday has plenty of reasons to smile, among them 134 caps and the gratitude of a nation. Three years on from lifting the All Blacks’ second World Cup, he is 12 months out from trying to become the first man to lift it twice. In the Windy City, where a rampant All Blacks defeated the USA 74-6 on Saturday, he has been wined, dined and even photo‑bombed by a tattooed Maori. He is a wanted man who seems perfectly happy to be wanted.
But he is also the author of an autobiography, The Real McCaw, in which he recounts in pitiless detail his journey from 2007 World Cup hubris in Cardiff to catharsis in Auckland four years later. It is a shattering read, built on two epic battles with the French, and even stalked by his nemesis, the Toulouse flanker Thierry Dusautoir. It contains a Russian novel’s worth of self-doubt, angst, pain and fear, fed by a country’s desperate desire to end 24 years of its rugby team, the best in the world, not being world champions. And in 12 months’ time, McCaw will go through it all again.But he is also the author of an autobiography, The Real McCaw, in which he recounts in pitiless detail his journey from 2007 World Cup hubris in Cardiff to catharsis in Auckland four years later. It is a shattering read, built on two epic battles with the French, and even stalked by his nemesis, the Toulouse flanker Thierry Dusautoir. It contains a Russian novel’s worth of self-doubt, angst, pain and fear, fed by a country’s desperate desire to end 24 years of its rugby team, the best in the world, not being world champions. And in 12 months’ time, McCaw will go through it all again.
It seems extraordinary for an All Black to admit such frailties in print. These are, supposedly, the unsmiling giants; men who regard emotion as a thing for weaklings. Not for the first or last time, McCaw laughs. “Yeah … I think you’d be lying if you said guys don’t have that at times, you know. When there’s huge expectation on what the team’s going to do …”It seems extraordinary for an All Black to admit such frailties in print. These are, supposedly, the unsmiling giants; men who regard emotion as a thing for weaklings. Not for the first or last time, McCaw laughs. “Yeah … I think you’d be lying if you said guys don’t have that at times, you know. When there’s huge expectation on what the team’s going to do …”
He continues: “Rather than fear of failure, it feels like a weight on the shoulders. When each week if you win you think: ‘Oh, thank goodness,’ and move on to the next one; I’ve felt like that at times. But you’re never going to take away that expectation on the All Blacks. You just have to put it in a place where you say: ‘Right, these 15 players have got the opportunity this week.’ And that’s actually exciting if you look at it like that.”He continues: “Rather than fear of failure, it feels like a weight on the shoulders. When each week if you win you think: ‘Oh, thank goodness,’ and move on to the next one; I’ve felt like that at times. But you’re never going to take away that expectation on the All Blacks. You just have to put it in a place where you say: ‘Right, these 15 players have got the opportunity this week.’ And that’s actually exciting if you look at it like that.”
It seems McCaw could find common ground with Jonny Wilkinson, rugby’s other famous sufferer. He says, however, he has never spoken to the former England fly-half about fear of failure, success, or Frenchmen. “From what I see from the outside,” McCaw says, “Jonny’s a guy who put a lot of pressure on himself, and the fear of failure and stuff really drove him. I’m not in the same league as that. But I think top sportsmen, yes, there is an element of it. Especially if you’re going to be there a long time. You let your guard down one minute and you could be gone.It seems McCaw could find common ground with Jonny Wilkinson, rugby’s other famous sufferer. He says, however, he has never spoken to the former England fly-half about fear of failure, success, or Frenchmen. “From what I see from the outside,” McCaw says, “Jonny’s a guy who put a lot of pressure on himself, and the fear of failure and stuff really drove him. I’m not in the same league as that. But I think top sportsmen, yes, there is an element of it. Especially if you’re going to be there a long time. You let your guard down one minute and you could be gone.
“I’ve seen players who’ve got all the talent in the world, and they could be a great All Black, and they come in and for whatever reason, usually decisions they make, they don’t last very long. And I sometimes wonder if they get a little bit older, they look back and go: ‘Jeepers, I stuffed that up.’ I don’t want to be the sort of guy that does that.”“I’ve seen players who’ve got all the talent in the world, and they could be a great All Black, and they come in and for whatever reason, usually decisions they make, they don’t last very long. And I sometimes wonder if they get a little bit older, they look back and go: ‘Jeepers, I stuffed that up.’ I don’t want to be the sort of guy that does that.”
He won’t be. McCaw is contracted until the end of the 2015 World Cup. He is dead-set on making history. Again.He won’t be. McCaw is contracted until the end of the 2015 World Cup. He is dead-set on making history. Again.
His use of the phrase “great All Black” is a constant – famously, as a youngster at home on his South Island farm, he aspired fiercely to be one. Before each game as the greatest All Black, the 33-year-old still takes out his trusty Warwick B4 notebook and writes down the standards he must meet. Those standards can seem impossibly demanding. In New Zealand his love life and other off-field matters – which include gliding and playing the bagpipes – are the property of the paparazzi. In the US, he is constantly on duty and constantly gracious. But you sense public life is not exactly his favourite thing.His use of the phrase “great All Black” is a constant – famously, as a youngster at home on his South Island farm, he aspired fiercely to be one. Before each game as the greatest All Black, the 33-year-old still takes out his trusty Warwick B4 notebook and writes down the standards he must meet. Those standards can seem impossibly demanding. In New Zealand his love life and other off-field matters – which include gliding and playing the bagpipes – are the property of the paparazzi. In the US, he is constantly on duty and constantly gracious. But you sense public life is not exactly his favourite thing.
“Probably not,” he says, pausing. “Yeah. I do quite enjoy for example being able to walk down the street and not worry. I’d be lying if I said that after 14-odd years of it, at times it doesn’t get a wee bit on top of you. I think the best thing I did was a couple of years ago when I had a break for six months. I came over here, in fact, for a bit of time.“Probably not,” he says, pausing. “Yeah. I do quite enjoy for example being able to walk down the street and not worry. I’d be lying if I said that after 14-odd years of it, at times it doesn’t get a wee bit on top of you. I think the best thing I did was a couple of years ago when I had a break for six months. I came over here, in fact, for a bit of time.
“I realised then that to get frustrated, at times it’s natural, but most people are just rugby fans and they love what we do, and what we do is a privilege: being an All Black. You have to remember that, because one day you won’t be.”“I realised then that to get frustrated, at times it’s natural, but most people are just rugby fans and they love what we do, and what we do is a privilege: being an All Black. You have to remember that, because one day you won’t be.”
Evidently, this nags at him. The subject comes up often – not only because I ask him about his plans post-2015 and interest from Toulon, a question he blocks with ease. Sometimes, he seems almost elegiac.Evidently, this nags at him. The subject comes up often – not only because I ask him about his plans post-2015 and interest from Toulon, a question he blocks with ease. Sometimes, he seems almost elegiac.
“It’s when you finish. That’s when you get the respite,” McCaw says. “I’ve got mates – [the retired hooker] Andrew Hore’s a classic, who was here [on tour] last year and he misses it, he’d do anything to be back here with us. You’ve just got to remember that sometimes.”“It’s when you finish. That’s when you get the respite,” McCaw says. “I’ve got mates – [the retired hooker] Andrew Hore’s a classic, who was here [on tour] last year and he misses it, he’d do anything to be back here with us. You’ve just got to remember that sometimes.”
In Chicago, McCaw and other senior players watched the victory over USA from the Soldier Field stands. The captain is of a relatively advanced age and has had injuries – head, knee, rib, thumb, the cracked foot on which he won the World Cup. The coach, Steve Hansen, has said the great fetcher’s play is therefore being refined, his energies reined back. McCaw concedes the point: “I look at tapes from when I started [against Ireland in 2001] and I was just like a headless chook, flat out. I got away with it a bit, the game’s changed a bit, and now I look at it and think: ‘Why am I not like that?’ It’s because I understand the game a bit more. But there are times when I’ll fall back into that and that’s when Steve picks it and makes acomment. In Chicago, McCaw and other senior players watched the victory over the USA from the Soldier Field stands. The captain is of a relatively advanced age and has had injuries – head, knee, rib, thumb, the cracked foot on which he won the World Cup. The coach, Steve Hansen, has said the great fetcher’s play is therefore being refined, his energies reined back. McCaw concedes the point: “I look at tapes from when I started [against Ireland in 2001] and I was just like a headless chook, flat out. I got away with it a bit, the game’s changed a bit, and now I look at it and think: ‘Why am I not like that?’ It’s because I understand the game a bit more. But there are times when I’ll fall back into that and that’s when Steve picks it and makes acomment.
“I guess that’s what Steve means by ‘reining back’. It’s not how many actions you do, it’s how good are the actions you do. It’s easy as a No7 to be all over the show, but that’s not necessarily what the team wants.”“I guess that’s what Steve means by ‘reining back’. It’s not how many actions you do, it’s how good are the actions you do. It’s easy as a No7 to be all over the show, but that’s not necessarily what the team wants.”
Nonetheless in recent games – a defeat by South Africa , a squeak past Australia – the All Blacks have needed their No7 to work terribly hard. To McCaw’s protestation that “I think I’m in pretty good nick”, I ask if he is seriously suggesting it doesn’t hurt to get up in the morning.Nonetheless in recent games – a defeat by South Africa , a squeak past Australia – the All Blacks have needed their No7 to work terribly hard. To McCaw’s protestation that “I think I’m in pretty good nick”, I ask if he is seriously suggesting it doesn’t hurt to get up in the morning.
He laughs. “Oh, no – after the Aussie Test, where we had to make a huge number of tackles, Sunday and Monday weren’t real nice. And perhaps it took a wee bit longer to get over. But you know, you give yourself two days and most of your body forgets it, your mind forgets it and you get back to do it again.”He laughs. “Oh, no – after the Aussie Test, where we had to make a huge number of tackles, Sunday and Monday weren’t real nice. And perhaps it took a wee bit longer to get over. But you know, you give yourself two days and most of your body forgets it, your mind forgets it and you get back to do it again.”
I ask about the head knocks: three bad ones in 2004 and 2005, a few since. “The big thing I’ve learned is that you make sure you recover and listen to the right people,” he says. “Rather than worry about people who hear half the story and scaremonger. But I’m not saying you don’t take it seriously either. I don’t know what else you can do except not play if you’re trying to avoid all risk.”I ask about the head knocks: three bad ones in 2004 and 2005, a few since. “The big thing I’ve learned is that you make sure you recover and listen to the right people,” he says. “Rather than worry about people who hear half the story and scaremonger. But I’m not saying you don’t take it seriously either. I don’t know what else you can do except not play if you’re trying to avoid all risk.”
To many Americans, given their lawsuits over head injuries suffered in the NFL, not playing contact sports is beginning to seem like a good idea. “I don’t know whether it’s the same sort of issue in rugby or not,” McCaw says. “I just look at what [NFL players] do with their heads, even in the helmets, and Jeez, some of those impacts are probably worse than what we get. I just know that in New Zealand rugby especially, guys are well looked after in terms of not playing when they shouldn’t.”To many Americans, given their lawsuits over head injuries suffered in the NFL, not playing contact sports is beginning to seem like a good idea. “I don’t know whether it’s the same sort of issue in rugby or not,” McCaw says. “I just look at what [NFL players] do with their heads, even in the helmets, and Jeez, some of those impacts are probably worse than what we get. I just know that in New Zealand rugby especially, guys are well looked after in terms of not playing when they shouldn’t.”
Barring accidents, McCaw will play on Saturday. He sees the England game, at the venue for the 2015 World Cup final, as the start of a big countdown. “I think the three weeks we’ll have in the UK there’ll be some tension back home,” he says. “Definitely … but we’ve got to embrace that, that’s just the way it is, and I love playing in the northern hemisphere, testing myself, playing in those big stadiums. If we go and do a good job, we can go home, enjoy a few weeks off and get ready for a big year.”Barring accidents, McCaw will play on Saturday. He sees the England game, at the venue for the 2015 World Cup final, as the start of a big countdown. “I think the three weeks we’ll have in the UK there’ll be some tension back home,” he says. “Definitely … but we’ve got to embrace that, that’s just the way it is, and I love playing in the northern hemisphere, testing myself, playing in those big stadiums. If we go and do a good job, we can go home, enjoy a few weeks off and get ready for a big year.”
Of course, if the All Blacks don’t do a good job against England, Scotland and Wales, the pressure will only crank up again.Of course, if the All Blacks don’t do a good job against England, Scotland and Wales, the pressure will only crank up again.
Our time is up, curtailed by McCaw’s next ambassadorial appearance. I try a parting shot about his post-World Cup plans. He pauses, smiles, and says: “To say I’m going to give it up or carry on playing, I just don’t know. You don’t want to give up something you love like that. But, you know, one day the time will come. Whether it’s next year or the year after, I’m not sure.”Our time is up, curtailed by McCaw’s next ambassadorial appearance. I try a parting shot about his post-World Cup plans. He pauses, smiles, and says: “To say I’m going to give it up or carry on playing, I just don’t know. You don’t want to give up something you love like that. But, you know, one day the time will come. Whether it’s next year or the year after, I’m not sure.”
And with that, the Greatest All Black is gone, whisked away through Chicago’s early-fall snow.And with that, the Greatest All Black is gone, whisked away through Chicago’s early-fall snow.