McCabe's future hinges on Wallabies doctor

You missed the point completely Xeno. One player put his body for the line, for his country. The other has to be hidden. How many ABs hide? None , they all play and defend in their position.

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3551_9444169,00.html if only he has McCabe's heart, toughness n passion.

Chivas, wonderfully written piece

What are u smoking Xeno? Just want to yell?

Yes Beale is at fault!!!!! Perhaps some watching of the game is required? I am always amazed how people blame who and what they want to regardless of what atually happened. Did Beale let the Wallaby scrum crumble, was Beale poor at stopping the rolling maul? Bad luck Pat, its a real shame but retirement is for the best I think.

Sanity prevails!! I cringed when I heard Link last night and read this article this morning. Clearly something's not right there and PMC continuing to play is like Russia roulette where the consequences can be pretty dire.

Spot on. Time for certain wallabies to grow a pair and do the hard yards like McCabe , and not hide when it comes to defence. Gutted that McCabe has to retire cause he out his body on the line, and Beale is too gutless to defend, and yet up gets hailed as an amazing wallaby. This is why we lost .... Got flogged in the last test. Today oz lost a great wallaby. If the rest of he team played like him, we would not be getting flogged by the ABs regularly .

We need more McCabes types in the wallabies and less amigo types fpr Australia to develop into a strong team.

"Yes, I'm disappointed. But I'm lucky to be able to walk away from the game after three serious injuries in tact. It's a blessing. "I was never the biggest, strongest or fastest in any team I played ... I just worked hard and got the most out of my limited potential. I walk away knowing I did the best I possibly could. I wouldn't do anything differently." The words of a truely humble man.

I reckon breaking your neck for the 3rd time would be some sort of signal to maybe give it away. Think he's made the right choice even though I am a fan of his play. One of those blokes who is too tough for his own body. Hope he reaches great hights with what ever he does next. Thanks Patty. Look after yourself mate.

Fk, fk, fk, fk... Is that selfish? Fk.

..and here's the statement from the Brumbies and McCabe today: (classic case of trying to reclaim the story yesterday, but that horse had long bolted) PAT MCCABE ANNOUNCES IMMEDIATE RETIREMENT FROM RUGBY "Pat McCabe will announce his retirement from rugby on Thursday following a third break to his C1 vertebrae. McCabe suffered the injury while playing against the All Blacks for the Qantas Wallabies in Auckland on Saturday night. The University of Canberra Brumbies back has been a part of the fulltime squad since 2010, having arrived in Canberra a year earlier through the Brumbies Academy. Since then he has gone on to claim 66 caps for the UC Brumbies and 24 for the Wallabies, including the 2013 British & Irish Lions Series, 2011 Rugby World Cup, 2014 Super Rugby Finals Series and Spring Tours in 2010 and 2012. McCabe was part of the Tri-Nations winning Wallabies team in 2011 and made seven appearances for the UC Brumbies one their way to the Australian Championship and Super Rugby Final in 2013. But over the last four years injuries have cruelled his chances to string together consistent playing time. McCabe spent more than six months wearing a neck brace in the last two years, part of a rehabilitation program which tail-ended his shoulder reconstruction at the end of 2011. For a player who will be remembered for his toughness and ability to overcome the pain barrier, a third break to his neck this week put the writing on the wall and doctor's recommendations confirmed his own feelings that enough was enough. Head Coach Stephen Larkham lamented losing a player of McCabe's quality. "Patty is the most respected player here from both staff and players. He's very good at listening, at learning and most importantly improving," Larkham said. "Over the last five years he's had set backs, including a number of injuries. But through all of that he has maintained an improvement in his game. "This pre-season was the best he's had and it led into one of the best seasons he's had. With Patty you pretty much knew exactly what you were going to get. He was 100 per cent into everything. Tackles, clean outs - every contest, it gave the guys around him and the coaches confidence. "What makes a guy brave? That's the million dollar question but I think Pat answers it. "You want players like Patty, you want everyone of your team members to be a bit like Patty. You'd like them to be tough, both mentally and physically and there is no-one braver than Patty, both in terms of injuries that he's gone through and the way that he plays the game." A full statement from Pat McCabe can be found below. "It has truly been an honour to represent the Brumbies and the Wallabies over the past five years. While my playing career has not ended the way I would have liked, I consider myself extremely fortunate. Fortunate to have met and shared experiences with special players and coaches. Fortunate to have played against opposition from around the world representing my country and province. And fortunate to walk away from the game with life changing friendships and memories. While the next chapter of my life is both exciting and terrifying in equal measure, I know that the lessons I have learnt in rugby will serve me well. It is an incredible game, has given me so much more than I could have ever dreamed and I will miss it immensely. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has made it such a special journey." Pat McCabe UC Brumbies 2010-2014 UC Brumbies Caps: 66 UC Brumbies Pts: 55 (11t) UC Brumbies Debut: 2010 v Force, Perth Test Caps: 24 Test Pts: 25 (5t) Test Debut: 2010 v Italy , Florence

I really hope he is ok and comes back. I felt on the back of eulogies and wreaths being laid out yesterday, that it may not have been the best comment to make. But in light of a glimmer of hope for purely selfish reasons, I wish all speed on a full recovery. To share some thoughts... A running second five needs to straighten the attack and create a ruck target wide of the current ruck and over the ad line. McCabe does this more than any current second five Australia has produced. It is an absolutely bruising and thankless task especially if your own support play can't get there and boss the zone. It used to be when I was a very young seven we were to try and bag the first five or herd him back inside by getting on his outside. As backlines got flatter and the game evolved, 7's were closing in on the second five and the trailing forwards were filling in space back to the ruck and maul area. Running second fives became a live target. If your second five can't run or get to the ad line the team is struggling to move forwards and draw in the ever spreading opposition defence. Pat McCsbe always surprised me that he could straighten and make that ad line against the best defences in the world. Of course he is going to be punished for it. A running second five who can get over the ad line and give his forward pack a target they can reach, for me, when I was playing is about as ugly as it gets. My attitude was to take him out any way possible before we are sunk. The unfortunate thing for the Wallabies, is there forwards are outmuscled completely at the breakdown, so Pat's efforts too often go unrewarded. There are times when he could pass and didn't. A part of his game he seemed to spend too little time developing in the early part of his career at second five IMO. But in saying that I wouldn't have wanted to see the other components of his game slip. He was starting to evolve that component of his game in recent times. At last Australia was getting a second five that was truly world class and now this. Good inside centres don't grow on trees they develop over years. He leaves a hole, that Australia don't currently look to be closing any time soon. Toomua, Godwin are a long way off being world class second fives IMO. They are good and can be. McCabe's fearlessness and willingness to put his body in the line are his greatest asset and are in my mind something that is lacking from the current Wallaby backline.his speed and strength are added bonuses. I think with the loss of McCabe or developing that type of player, the Wallabies will be milling around swapping players and coaches in snd out and navel gazing for a long time yet. I hope that we haven't seen the last of Pat McCabe either in spirit or deed.