It’s always fantastic for a sport to have rivalries. It ensures that a little extra spice is added to proceedings. It guarantees that what is an already emotional situation becomes even more absorbing for fans. It provides a subplot to the overall athletic contest. And it adds another layer of intensity to the encounter.
However, the rivalry between McCaw and Cooper has now gone beyond the realm of ‘intense’, and entered an even more fascinating territory: niggly.
Cooper’s knee to the head of McCaw in the deciding Tri-Nations decider may have gone unpunished by officials, but anyone who thinks it was unintentional is fooling themselves.
Cooper was looking right at McCaw when he did it, so the contact could have been avoided if he had so desired.
Clearly Cooper had intent, and as such, I was surprised he wasn’t suspended.
It added another chapter to the growing rivalry between the two players, which appeared to have first brewed in the match between Australia and New Zealand in Hong Kong last year. In that game, Cooper shoved McCaw in the in-goal area during the final minutes of the Wallaby win.
Since then, the two players have had run-ins during almost every game in which they’ve squared off against each other, including the Super Rugby matches between the Crusaders and the Reds.
It’s a fascinating duel, because it’s somewhat unexpected. There isn’t a long history between the two, nor has there been any indication of bad blood before the Hong Kong match.
And McCaw and Cooper are also diametrically opposed in almost every way imaginable.
McCaw is a forward, and Cooper a back. McCaw is an openside flanker and a master at the breakdown. Cooper is a mercurial fly half who utilises sleight-of-hand and silky skills to bamboozle opponents. McCaw is a veteran, whilst Cooper is in the infancy of his international career.
McCaw is a classy leader of men, heavily respected throughout the world, and extremely media savvy. Cooper is a cheeky Queenslander who has had disciplinary, off-field issues, and appears raw and nervous in front of the camera.
From a distance, apart from trans-Tasman bragging rights, their stark differences would suggest that there is little evidence that would indicate that they should be such fierce rivals.
Robbie Deans has called the rivalry ‘healthy’. In reality, whilst it’s fantastic for the media, and provides fans with great banter over a beer, it’s not really a rivalry at all. Rather its two players engaging in some world class niggle.
Both players have a keenness for the battle within the battle, and it’s this quality that they share that makes them bitter adversaries.
Cooper, by virtue of his cheeky personality, loves to indulge in a little bit of niggle during games. His bold confidence is what makes him such a special and dangerous attacking player, but it’s also the reason he loves to engage in some ‘extracurricular’ activities with his opponents.
Meanwhile, McCaw, by virtue of his playing position and amazing skill set, is both accustomed to and motivated by the individual confrontations that rugby serves up.
The next time the two combatants square off against each other very well may be during rugby’s showpiece event: the World Cup final. On the sport’s biggest stage, with the most at stake, you can guarantee that McCaw and Cooper will resume hostilities, should the two nations battle for the William Webb Ellis trophy.
Long may the niggle continue.
You can follow Ryan O’Connell on Twitter @RyanOak
Bear
Guest
For Robbie Deans to say that the rivalry between McCaw and Cooper is 'healthy' is a grave error. Cooper obviously has a major hangup and doesn't repect those who have a proven track record and are held in repect. Off field, he has had similar problems and needs some serious life coaching before it is too late. To beat a team, you need to respect it first otherwise you will be undone and undone ROYALLY.... especially the best in the world. Unfortunately his talent far surpasses his character (at the moment).....this will get him in the end and make him a worse player as we have seen. You have to be a 'whole person' to perform at the highest level. Also, a team culture is very important for success. The Aussie team culture is flawed (Quade is a symptom) and therefore the team suffers disunity, uncertainty and hesitation both on and off the field.
Crimdon
Guest
Green and Gold ? are you kidding me that site is an absolute joke!
Pillock
Roar Rookie
Why isn't the late hit on O'Connor after he scored mentioned only a shove in the back by Cooper?
rae1
Guest
Big Tough Tokoroa kid ay- FAIL! Coward Cooper,there will be utu,no doubt about it
nige imrie
Guest
Rivalry is great but keep it clean boys, Quade lost the plot in the last game and Thorn was there to remind him and you would have to be naive if you didn't notice that big Quade was actually frightened, scared is the word. Bit of argy bargy is fine but knees to the head are not part of your job discription bro!!!
Mike
Guest
Fair point
MR01
Guest
Mike - for some not, for others I get the distinct impression they take the commentators words as gospel, or at least let the commentators colour their viewpoint. Then when people refer to green&gold for confirmation, well that's where their credibility goes out the window. Other may not let Kearns & co guide their thinking, but they then tend to forget to look at their own team, & yes I'm guilty of this as well.
MR01
Guest
Scot Free - my apologies for the fool comment, I was playing the man not the ball.
Lorry
Guest
Quade annoying richie is pathetic! Leave him alone.... It's a kind of a fake rivalry... Richie McCaw v Phil Waugh - now there was a REAL rivalry! Two clean, hard players going hammer and tongs at each other
Betty B
Guest
These rugby blogs have taken a decided dive recently. Is this a world cup thing?
PaddyBoy
Guest
This comment is a bit strange. The Majority of Australians and New Zealanders are from Europe, so one Samoan in England is hardly a major issue.
ThelmaWrites
Guest
"Frank Bunce, who played 55 tests for the All Blacks between 1992-97, was unfazed. "Those sorts of things have been levelled at us for years and years and years. "It's gamesmanship – we aren't coached to do it, we aren't told to do it, but you do it. They do it, Aussie do it ... little things like holding jerseys to give yourself that two or three-second advantage. You can't tell me the All Blacks are the only team in the world that do it."
ohtani's jacket
Guest
No ref is reading the Roar looking for advice on what to scrutinize. Any accusations are directed at hyproctical Wallaby supporters of which there is an abudance.
Mike
Guest
Well its precisely because we read the rule book that the points are made about McCaw. Anyway, it doesn't really matter what you or I think, about McCaw or Cooper. And I agree, enjoying the RWC should be the first priority
Red Chief
Roar Pro
Do you not think the refs have heard all this crap from you all before? Actually, not worth it. Enjoy the WC guys, read the rule book and maybe you will start admiring McCaw instead of spending your life whinging.
Mike
Guest
Always good to have a sense of humour Red Chief, particularly when pointing out the truth.
ThelmaWrites
Guest
OJ Very clever: deflect some of the accusations on the Wallabies to get the refs to sweep them into the net, along with the ABs. Or to lessen the scrutiny on the ABs.
Red Chief
Roar Pro
You wannabees supporters are hilarious.
Mike
Guest
I think you've nailed it there, stillatragic. NZ has realised that Richie is getting much shorter shrift from referees than he used to. Happens to everyone who pushes the line as Richie does, sooner or later. They figure the best way to take the focus off Richie is to keep drawing attention to Cooper. It probably won't matter much - no guarantee the ABs and Wallabies will even meet in this tournament, and even if they do, always possible that Cooper or Richie are out through injury by then.
Mike
Guest
Well said, Scot Free