McCaw calls for disciplinary consistency
Richie McCaw spent a lifetime hunting down opponents and tormenting at the breakdown. So if one person is going to have a worthwhile opinion on ‘that’ Owen Farrell tackle it’s him.
So when asked by RugbyPass about Farrell’s no-arms tackle on Andre Esterhuizen, and what his reaction would be if something similar happens this weekend against the All Blacks, McCaw made a surprising admission.
“To be honest, I’ve read about it, but I haven’t actually seen it! So I’m probably commenting on it a little bit blind on it.” he said.
But McCaw did at least call for clarity from rugby’s rule makers when to comes to sanctions.
“Without being too much around this actual tackle, the one thing I would sort of pick up is – that you want to be able to know that if you do something wrong or do something, that you know that is definitely going to be punished by this amount or whatever, or it’s not going to be, but that it’s consistent.
“That’s what some people, from what I’ve read say, is that one week you could end up getting a suspension but another week you don’t. I think that’s the big thing that’s always the frustrating part – when you don’t know.
“You just want consistency I suppose.”
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Watch: England back row Sam Underhill launches a staunch defence of Owen Farrell
The All Blacks face England and Ireland on consecutive Saturday’s. Ireland are second in the World Rugby rankings, behind New Zealand, and McCaw is looking forward to seeing All Blacks tested over the coming weeks to see what shape they’re in with a World Cup on the horizon.
“I think there’s a huge amount of anticipation for it (against Ireland). I think for these two weeks, because the All Blacks haven’t played England for quite a while either, I think there’s great anticipation around that for this weekend and then to back it up against the Six Nations champions and the second best side in the world, which they are, it makes for a pretty good couple of weeks of rugby.
“I think these three weeks and you look at the World Cup next year and it won’t tell you who should do what next year but it gives you a better indication of where teams are at and from an All Blacks point of view, a couple of weeks after the Rugby Championship, the performances are okay but I know they see this as a pretty important run of fixtures leading into next year.
Ireland claimed a first-ever win over the All Blacks in Chicago in 2016, with a 40-29 success and McCaw feels that match still hangs over them.
“I think what happened a couple of years ago at the Chicago game with the All Blacks being beaten has kept them on edge, which should be great.
Ireland scrum half Conor Murray has been ruled out for the game on November 17th, but All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen has already mused as to whether it’s “an Irish trick”. Murray has subsequently spent some time in the Ireland camp as he continues his rehabilitation and despite having no game-time since June, McCaw feels the Munsterman would be ready if he’s thrown in.
“I think he’s hugely important. A good player like him, when you have got a good team around you that are pushing you to play, he’ll know how to fit himself in and perform and do his job. I’ve got no doubt about that.
“The confidence of others around him will make him want to play and that’s pretty invaluable for the team. I’ve been in a couple of those situations and if you’re good to go, you put him in there, but yeah I just think on the Lions tour he had a big impact last year.
“I’ve no doubt he’s has a big influence over the Irish team and how they go.
McCaw also gave his thoughts on the impact of Ronan O’Gara at the Crusaders since he joined the coaching staff under Scott Robertson.
“I think firstly you’ve got to take your hat off to Ronan for making the decision to go and try something completely different. He obviously had a long way to go to come to Christchurch and usually you’d have Kiwis coming up to this part of the world but he’s obviously a top bloke and he’s fitted in extremely well from what I’ve heard at the Crusaders.
“It would have taken him a while to find his feet, but from what I hear from Scott Robertson and a couple of the players is that his input has been spot on and invaluable.
“He joined a set-up that managed to defend the title in Super Rugby, so it’s not a bad one to have on your resume is it?”
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Comments on RugbyPass
We’re building a bridge but can't agree where the river is.
2 Go to commentsfirst no arms shoulder or helmet tackle into his rib cage is going to be so very painful even to watch. go back to RU mate.
1 Go to commentsBulls by 5. Plus another 50.
3 Go to commentsJohan Goosen avatar. Cute. Surely someone at RP knows how to do a google image search?
3 Go to commentsCan’t these games play a little earlier? Asking for a friend.
3 Go to commentsIt’s impressive that we can see huge stadiums with attendance in the 40 000 to 50 000 region. It shows how popular this competition is becoming. What is even more impressive is the massive growth in broadcast viewership. The URC is one of the two best leagues in the World, the other being the Top14.
7 Go to commentsChristie is not Sottish, like the majority of the Scotland team.
2 Go to commentsHold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
45 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
8 Go to commentsGreat insight into the performance culture with Sarries and I predict Christie will be a fixture in the Scotland team now for some time to come. However, he is slightly missing his own point around Scotland “being soft” when he cites physicality examples in defence of that slight. The issue is much closer to the example he referenced around feeling off before a game but being told “it doesn’t matter, you can still play well” by Farrell. Until Scotland can get their psyche in that square, they will carry on folding under extreme pressure…
2 Go to comments> We are having to adapt, evolve and innovate more than when we were in Super Rugby where there was only really one style that everybody had to play to gain the most success. Have = able to? Interesting what that one style might be? I thought SA sides still had bad tours now, or at least bad schedule, months away? Those extra few hours flights have to be a killer though, no surprise to see their sides doing so badly at the start of the season each year. I wouldn’t enjoy that unfairness as a supporter.
7 Go to commentsThe problem for NZ, and Aus, is they ripped up the SR model and lost a massive chunk of revenue that hasn’t been replaced. Don’t forget SA clubs went North because they were left with no choice, Argy unceremoniously binned and Japan cast adrift. Now SR wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they’ve jumped into something without an effective plan, so far, to replace what they’ve lost. The biggest revenue potential now lies in Japan but it won’t be easy or quick to unlock, they are incredibly insular in culture as a nation. In the meantime, there is a serious time bomb sitting under SH rugby and if it happens then the current financial challenges will look like a picnic. IF the Boks follow their provincial teams and head north then it’s revenue meltdown. Not guaranteed to happen but the status quo is a very odd hybrid, with the Boks pointing one way and the clubs pointing the other way. And for as long as that remains then the threat is real.
45 Go to commentsI think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
8 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
8 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
45 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to comments