In the last ten months much has been written about the incumbent Wallaby captain’s deficiencies. Much of it is along the lines of ‘…he couldn’t lead a team to the bathroom… we need someone like Richie McCaw!’
It is not hard to agree with this sentiment, but McCaw is a one-off so there is no place to go there.
In the heated rhetoric several names have been mooted as alternatives to the incumbent. There may be a suitable candidate among them. They all have their merits, but are they really like Richie?
No, of course not you say, that’s not what we meant. So if that isn’t what you meant, what is it? What makes Richie a great captain – one of the best ever?
There are six criteria that a player must satisfy to be a viable captain candidate:
1. Intellectual and practical intelligence (a quick, analytical, creative, action-oriented thinker)
2. Rugby specific intelligence/nous (knows all the parts; sees and understands the game as a complex system; constantly and instinctively assesses status quo (time = t) and project forward to t+1)
3. Excellent communication skills (verbal and body language)
4. An even temperament (an island of calm when all emotions are screaming fight/flight – bleeds ice-cold blood)
5. The ability to lead by example (if not consider coaching)
6. The boots must fit (when the boots don’t fit their own game suffers and no one wins – captaincy is innate)
Based on my observations, Richie McCaw, Brian O’Driscoll, and Jon Smit are the only truly superior player/captains currently on offer in elite world rugby.
While all three are getting near to their use-by dates as first-choice players, the presence of each in a match makes a palpable difference to their respective teams – even before the match begins.
Without going into the subtleties, all three have the capacity to temper and redirect the disruptive and unproductive energy spikes that occur when both good and bad things happen to them and their teammates.
If you doubt, or don’t understand this, a master class on captaincy is on offer every time the All Blacks play. First, don’t try to find Richie – when the play stops look where his teammates are looking.
He will be there. Will he be talking? Not necessarily. Will he be communicating with them? Absolutely – his body language and demeanor alone are worth thousands of words.
If Richie is on the pitch and Richie is ok, the All Blacks are ok. Richie is always ok.
Opposing teams/coaches/fans complain that Richie has too much on the refs. Rubbish. Richie is just being himself. He communicates through his body language and talks with the refs just as he communicates and talks with his teammates.
Notice I said ‘talks with’ not ‘talks to’. There is a huge difference and the result is effective communication – not just delivering messages.
McCaw, O’Driscoll and Smit have all six of the criteria well covered. That is clear whenever they take the pitch. So, if they (particularly Richie) are the models, what have we (Wallabies) got right now if we rate the four on each criterion from 0 – 10?
On this scale, 0 = Fail; 5 = Adequate; 10 = Superior (team will follow him through fire)?
Capts: Elsom (RE)– McCaw (RM)– O’Driscoll (BD)– Smit (JS)
1. Intel. RE (8) – RM (9) – BD (8) – JS (8)
2. Nous. RE (4) – RM (9) – BD (9) – JS (9)
3. Comm. RE (0) – RM (10) – BD (10) – JS (10)
4. Temp. RE (0) – RM (10) – BD (9) – JS (9)
5. L’Ex. RE (6) – RM (10) – BD (10) – JS (9)
6. Boots. RE (0) – RM (10) – BD (10) – JS (10)
TOTALS: RE(18/60 )– RM(58/60) – BD(56/60) – JS(54/60)
Nobody (here) is perfect (John ‘Perfect’ Eales for a 60/60?).
Fiddle the numbers if you will, but it appears Australia could do significantly better. All Black and Bok fans should be happy with the status quo. Wallaby partisans, how does your preferred alternative to the incumbent stack up?
guinness14
Guest
Only whingers would say something like our All Blacks cheat and push things to the extreme. These guys are smart, they and their captain know the rule book inside out, so quit harping on. I'm going to say it, we have been the Number one International Team in the world for( HOW LONG) that has only held the Ellis Cup once.
guinness14
Guest
warrenexpatinnz, I agree RM is a good captain. I think the difference between him and RE is from the begining when he became the AB he was good. Reackon he as born to lead. No one needs to protect this guy, he's man enough to stand up to what ever is thrown at him.
johnny-boy
Guest
I'm not here to please you Matt. I'm just offering my opinion and some of them probably are s......... Most probably the ones born of frustration with Deans and the bagging we have to cop from kiwis from being cruelled having to put up with one of their idiot coaches stuffing our team up. Richie McCaw would be lucky to get to tie Buck Shelford shoelaces although Eales and Smit might (crikey I hope the saffas arent awake tonight)
Matt in Norway
Guest
Johnny Boy, are you really Phil Kearns? 3 IRB player of the year awards champ, count them, 1, 2, 3... You don't get these awards for displaying a poor level of sportsmanship. To go on and suggest the quality of the AB's wins under McCaw are somewhat tainted is as equally ridiculous as the rest of your statement concerning the AB's. "AB's not having learnt yet to back themselves through fair play"? AB's looking terrified? What is going on in your head man? Take off your spectacular Phil Kearns-Vision Goggles ™ mate, most of your comments are insightful and well thought out, I enjoy reading them, but there have been a few lately that just give me the sh**s, you seem to understand the game well but have a warped perception of a few key areas. Come on champ, credit where it is due, like it or not, McCaw is seen by the majority as one of the great captains of our modern era. Admittedly I would take Mr Eales any day, but Richie has served us very well as a player, captain and as an ambassador for the game, you can't ask much more of the man (well, maybe a WC).
Christorm
Guest
@ Johnny- boy... What the hell have you been smoking?!! It's every teams objective to bend & manipulate the rules to their advantage. Especially a player with a the number 7 on their back! On the odd occasion McCaw may have cost his team a game, but he has surely won his team many, many more with this mindset. This ain't the monastery, no points for being honest. It bloody Rugby! It's only a sin if the Ref catches you. Go watch another sport you clueless CHUMP! Pffttt... Really?!!! -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
warrenexpatinnz
Guest
Far better verbalized than I did Lion Red, well put.
johnny-boy
Guest
I've never thought McCaw was a great captain. Good maybe and cunning with the Refs but I agree with Mark, if you rely so very heavily on pushing the laws of the game beyond the limits of what is reasonable, to put it nicely, I think it reflects very poorly on your level of sportsmanship and the quality of your wins. By all means go hard and fast and to the limit but to base your game almost totally around trying to get an illegal edge all the time shows a lack of belief in your own fair dinkum ability. And I concede it has started to creep in to the Reds game a bit this year and it will bring them unstuck like it has the All Blacks at world cups one day if they are not careful. The ridiculous forward passes Genia and Cooper were trying to pull at Eden Park is a good example. When the pressure comes on and you don't naturally trust your legal ability you try pushing your pushing and it all comes unstuck quickly. Witness McCaw in first Reds game too. Whether you agree with the penalty or not it cost his union a million bucks. This is the main reason why I dont think the All Blacks will win the world cup because they havent yet learnt to back themselves thru fair play. When the pressure comes on and their pushing beyond the laws isnt working they look terrified. If the Wallabies could just start slow and steady and just repel for even half and hour, especially if they had Matt Taylor as defence coach, they would find the rest of the game a hell of a lot easier. Just a theory.
darwin stubby
Guest
What a stupid statement .... so prior to 1987 there were no great captains ? ...
ozxile
Roar Pro
Lion R: This is about being a captain. Perhaps if he wasn't 'mildly distracted' by this nuisance responsibility he would be in better form? I'm inclined to think so. He wasn't burdened by such when he was tearing things up for Leinster. We can only hope he'll find that kind of form in the next month.
darwin stubby
Guest
every now and then a comment comes along that makes wish you weren't drinking coffee whilst reading your screen ... this was one of them ... quality call
ozxile
Roar Pro
WHM: I appreciate the indulgence of having a go at this. It doesn't really answer the question but it does provide a structured perspective. It would be interesting to now see what others think of your assessment. I had not given the alternative much thought but cannot find fault with your assessment. JH in 3rd will probably give a few Roarers a mild rash. Without meaning to argue the point, I find your score of 9 on Rugby Nous for Genia interesting. I recall reading somewhere that he did not play rugby (contrast to JH and DP) until he went to high school (BBC in Brisbane?). Not sure where he was before then, but there is relatively little rugby played in PNG. Before going to boarding school I'd never seen it.
ozxile
Roar Pro
WNM: I didn't say he is THE greatest. I'd say he will be regarded as THE greatest by AB fans (after receiving his Knighthood) if he there when they eventually break the drought. Joshy H: It is a bit rough to have to win it all to be considered great. He only get to play one position after all.
jeremy
Guest
The IRB players association would disagree with you there Mark. McCaw holds three IRB Player of The Year awards, that pretty much defines greatness, recognition from your peers.
Who Needs Melon
Roar Guru
PS. Yes, Richie is a great captain. I heard he has now captained both the youngest ever and oldest ever All Blacks. His win/loss record and longevity have to be right up there and NZ have had a lot of great captains over time. And it's not just that he has been in the team at the right time - he does have a real presence on the field. And off the field I think the guy oozes class too. I also agree with Joshy above though: Winning the World Cup would have to put him in the realms of one of the (if not THE) greatest of All Blacks captains, wouldn't it?
jeremy
Guest
ha ha - huge fan of Richie McCaw and will agree this comment is 100% true.
Who Needs Melon
Roar Guru
You're criteria on a good captain rang some bells... http://www.theroar.com.au/2011/06/25/who-should-captain-the-wallabies/ Just for the sake of it, how would you rate some of the other potentials for Wallaby captain? I'm not sure I agree with your ratings of Elsom but this is all very subjective so I've just left them as is. Elsom (RE)– Horwill (JH)– Genia (WG)– Pocock (DP) 1. Intel. RE (8) – JH (8) – WG (9) – DP (9) 2. Nous. RE (4) – JH (6) – WG (9) – DP (8) 3. Comm. RE (0) – JH (8) – WG (8) – DP (8) 4. Temp. RE (0) – JH (8) – WG (9) – DP (9) 5. L’Ex. RE (6) – JH (7) – WG (8) – DP (9) 6. Boots. RE (0) – JH (10) – WG (10) – DP (8) TOTALS: RE(18/60 )– JH(47/60) – WG(53/60) – DP(51/60)
Joshy Homes
Guest
Got to win the world cup to be a great captain. sorry.
Lion Red
Guest
Have to agree with Warren. When Richies took over the captaincy from Tana he was very green and had alot to learn on the international stage and did not have the full support of the NZ public. However over time he has grown to become a fine leader, I feel Rocky Elsom has been made the scape goat for the Wallabies poor performances but I feel that his tight 5 does not give him the platform to excel in his natural game as a damaging ball playing blindside.
kaha
Guest
simon don't get me going on kearns commentary or complainatary. You can hear the dissapointment in his voice when he complains about an infringement and the ref picks it up as well; This means he can't keep moaning on about it. Also did I hear right when mccaw got penalised kearns said that is the first time mccaw has ever been penalised and marto said thats not true thats just being nasty.
Tissot Time
Guest
I have posted elsewhere before about leadership, the importance of communication, ownership and role of the players and team around you. "The strength of the pack is the wolf and the strength of wolf is the pack" Kipling