Johannesburg - If Saturday is to indeed be legendary All Black captain Richie McCaw’s last Test against the Springboks at Ellis Park, then he is determined to make it a painful memory for the Boks and their fans.
Already feted as arguably the greatest player to play the game and undoubtedly the greatest of his generation, the 139-Test veteran says he hasn’t put much thought into this being his last appearance for New Zealand in South Africa.
At the same time, the 34-year-old would love nothing more than to seal a remarkable career with a rare win at the home of Bok rugby in a Test that could also secure the All Blacks their fourth Rugby Championship title.
McCaw has led the All Blacks to many memorable victories over the Boks in New Zealand, as well as elsewhere in SA. But he has only once savoured the taste of victory against the men in Green and Gold at Ellis Park, and that was two years ago.
“To be honest I haven’t thought too much about that. I’m just excited to be able to line-up in a Test match at Ellis Park, it is one of the ultimate places to play,” he said on Friday.
“I think just the excitement of being able to do that is what I’m all about. If I don’t get to play here again I hope I have a good memory of this one, that’s what I’m motivated to do. It’s one of the toughest places to play, but that is why you line-up.”
For all that McCaw has achieved in his illustrious international career spanning 14 years - being the second-most capped player of all time, two caps away from Ireland’s Brian O’Driscoll’s record of 141, and the only player to captain his side in a 100 Tests - the Kiwi talisman is under no illusion at how difficult it will be to inflict defeat on the Boks on Saturday.
McCaw counts his encounters against the Boks, especially on South African soil, as the toughest Test matches he has been embroiled in and conceded that it gets more difficult by the Test to undo the South Africans at Ellis Park.
“No, it doesn’t get any easier at all. In the last three to four years we’ve played at Ellis Park and at the soccer stadium (FNB Stadium) and those matches are the toughest ones you play in from a physical and intensity point of view,” he said.
“It certainly doesn’t get easier, but they are the days that you want to line-up and play.”
While McCaw has been a nemesis to the Boks over the years, it is his duel against SA openside flank Heinrich Brüssow that has often seen him come off second best.
During Brüssow’s heyday in the Bok jersey, specifically in 2009, the Free State Cheetahs loose forward got the better of McCaw and the All Blacks in all four Tests in which he featured against.
Today, McCaw will want to change that blot to his nearly unblemished record as the ruler of the breakdown,
He says his team must unsettle Brüssow and not allow him to run amok.
“He’s probably not a real tall joker and he’s got a good knack of knowing when to go in there,” McCaw said. “The guys that are good at it (breakdowns) don’t go in every time, they just know the right time and he’s certainly someone over the years that has been pretty good at that area of the game. You don’t want to let him get set really.
“When we see him, he’s got to be removed before he gets a chance to get in there and on the ball.”
McCaw also paid homage to Schalk Burger for having overcome a life-threatening illness two years ago, and says that his Bok counterpart is the epitome of the resilient and tough player he relishes playing against.
“The way he throws himself around he makes a helluva impact, there is no doubt about that,” he said.
“He’s a nice guy off the field, too, as I’ve played with him at the Barbarians.
“He’s had his fair share of setbacks and to get back from that and captain the team is pretty amazing.
“The respect is there and they are the type of guys you love playing against because it’s tough”.
Weekend Argus