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You’re in a battle. Having fought for a full 60 minutes now, your legs are giving out from carrying your weight through hell, your lungs are going over time and your arms are dead from dragging, throwing, lifting and pushing men all over the field.
You grab your rag, wipe the blood from the massive cut over your head, as a medic wraps a strap over it.
So you and the troops rally around the captain. Listening, hanging on his every word, as you wait for the opposition to kick for three.
He says, “We’ve got this boys, stay calm. Trust our systems and it will work”.
He says it in such a calm state that the troops start to calm down. I release a sigh of relief, I look around the team, and I catch the gaze of my fellow warriors, and we know with confidence – we’re going to win, no matter what.
Somebody told me inspiration could be explained by the picture of one person, who in a time of a great challenge, could say one sentence, and bring out the best of everyone around.
And if that is true, Richie McCaw would be the embodiment of inspiration.
An All Black with more achievements in his career than most could only dream of, Richie is a three-time IRB player of the year and the first Kiwi to reach 100 caps for the All Blacks. A team so prestigious its special even to wear the jersey once.
And he’s the most capped All Black ever with 136 and still playing, now closing in on 100 caps as an All Black captain, and many more on a CV full of a achievements that’ll make millionaires jealous.
He’s the ultimate leader. Who to this day is still giving out speeches and one-liners to his troops nearing the end of a Test to be mentally tough. And in those moments, he encapsulates his importance. His men respond the only way they can when their bodies are all but gone. With heart and guts.
In those pressure pit situations during a Test match, when there is still a chance of revival, there is no one more important or valuable to the team than the experienced grizzly old warrior. The team looks to him in these situations because he is so ice cool, task focused and confident in the systems and he inspires them to be the same.
He puts his body on the line, so his troops can learn to do the same. And they do.
At McCaw’s age and at his rugby position, most players would be retired from this level of professional rugby. So we can all marvel at the fact that he’s still punching in 80 minutes of full physical contact as a number seven at 33. Knowing that his position requires a technical mind and an acute sense of how the game is played.
Add onto that the pressure of being the captain, I have mentioned he is an outstanding leader, not because he has to be, but because he wants to be. McCaw knows that’s what he’s good at. He’s always improving, for the betterment of the team. And so he accepts the challenge and knows what’s required on and off the field as the captain.
His mental fortitude is otherworldly, as if he’s a mutant with the ability to put mind over body daily, even during breakfast.
This is shown by McCaw’s evolution and how he adapted his game from 13 years ago after his man-of-the-match debut against Ireland in Dublin. He’s not as fast as he once was but he’s a physical presence on defence, topping the tackle count during this year’s Rugby Championship with 77.
As much as I think how great the man is, I understand McCaw still makes mistakes. And for all the great things he does, we still hold it against him that he missed a tackle, or he’s being penalised a lot, leading to the conclusion that he’s not the player he once was, and Father Time is catching up with him.
Ha! I couldn’t keep a straight face after that paragraph.
The importance of McCaw can be shown by the amount of times he’s been personally attacked on and off the field. On the field when players cheekily elbow or knee him, he responds by immediately getting up as if nothing happened, not giving away any mental edge in confidence. Off the field when critics rave about one missed tackle, he responds with a whopper of a performance the next game.
I like to think of myself as unbiased when it comes to teams in rugby, I love all teams, especially the SANZAR teams. But when it comes to players, specifically the All Black captain, I’m happily biased. I am proud of that, because I’m proud of him and all his achievements and of what he’s brought to this beautiful game. Who wouldn’t? Perhaps an anonymous English rugby critic?
We are wrong to think that much of the success of the All Blacks in this era comes down to one man, even if he’s captain. The All Blacks are mentally the toughest rugby team in the world, and even in situations when all is seemed to be lost, Richie is still calmly rallying the troops to be mentally tougher.
His resolve never falters, and that inspires this team to greater heights. So if that doesn’t show his importance to the legacy of the All Blacks, then go read another article.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.