Aaron Mauger was there when it all began for Kiwi icon Richie McCaw. They made their debuts together for the All Blacks against Ireland at Lansdowne Road in November, 2001.
On Saturday, when New Zealand’s decorated captain is making one last stand in the World Cup final, his former team-mate and coach will be finalising preparations in Leicester for the visit of Wasps the next day.
The Tigers’ new head coach will watch his compatriots take on Australia at Twickenham with a clear grasp of what the retiring veterans in Steve Hansen’s champion side will bring to the showpiece occasion.
He was born a month before McCaw in 1980 and wore the same colours with distinction, those of the Crusaders and New Zealand, until selection whims and injuries prematurely halted his on-field career, following a playing stint at Leicester. Mauger went home and established his coaching credentials in Christchurch, giving him a further insight into what makes McCaw keep ticking, as an enduring colossus of the sport.
‘It was evident early on that he was going to be a star for a long time,’ Mauger told Sportsmail yesterday, while reflecting on their shared introduction to the international arena 14 years ago.
As McCaw prepares for his record-breaking 148th and final Test, Mauger added: ‘The thing that sets Richie apart is his mindset. He’s got such a competitive mindset.
‘His desire to be the best is so great. People have to make choices in their life and their career. I don’t think Richie has ever made a choice that is detrimental, because he’s always been motivated to be the best. That is what sums him up.
‘When it comes to the physical side of things, you’ve just got to watch the guy go through a conditioning session. He hits every mark. In fact, he probably runs through every mark by two or three metres, just to make sure. He’s not a guy who has ever taken a short cut.’
What has marked McCaw out from other leading players in the modern era is his knack for adapting to the game’s shifting landscape, to keep himself one step ahead of his rivals. He will go down as arguably the greatest player ever — and a three-time winner of the world Player of the Year award — on the basis of continually reinventing himself.
‘The first thing with Richie is that he is very aware from all of his experiences, so he is much more clinical now with what he does,’ said Mauger. ‘He makes good decisions around breakdowns and his running lines. In those ways, you get better with age. You have to adapt when your body starts to slow down a bit.
‘Richie is no spring chicken, so he has had to make adjustments. But his commitment and the energy he has put into making those adjustments has helped him stay at the top.
‘I think the biggest factor in the last few years has been his leadership — his ability to guide his team through some tricky situations. He is committed to being the guy other people can turn to when the team are under pressure.’
Asked if the looming breakdown threat posed by the Wallabies’ own poacher supreme, David Pocock, is the sort of confrontation likely to inspire McCaw, Mauger added: ‘I think so. They won’t just look at one player but there will be a focus on Pocock as part of their strategy at the breakdown, to make sure the All Blacks can get some clean, quick ball.’
It is not just McCaw who he knows so well — Mauger is also very familiar with the other retiring All Black icon, Dan Carter. Having lined up outside the peerless fly-half on many occasions, Mauger said: ‘Dan is the consummate professional. He’s been trying to manage his body because he is what they call an ageing athlete, I suppose.
‘There is probably a little bit (of extra motivation) in there for Dan. He had to walk off injured during that quarter-final against France in 2007 and he didn’t have an opportunity to play in the big games in 2011 (after another injury). In 2003 he was new to the squad so he didn’t get a lot of action after the pool stage.
‘When it comes to the pinnacle of world rugby, this is probably the only thing he hasn’t experienced, and it looks like he is hungry. His last couple of performances have been world-class.’
The long-standing midfield pair, Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith, will both play their last Tests on Saturday, before taking up contracts in France. As a former centre, Mauger is a huge admirer of their alliance.
‘They’ve been the best midfield partnership in the world by a long shot,’ he said. ‘It is everything you want. Nonu is a real threat at the line. Smith is one of the smartest rugby players who is playing the game today and is the glue in that back line.’
The removal of so much experience from the Kiwi ranks will leave a gaping hole, but Mauger is confident that it will be filled. ‘We are lucky in New Zealand because every kid wants to play rugby, they are well coached and the development structure is strong,’ he said. ‘There is always going to be talent coming through.’ – Daily Mail