Richie McCaw is a Hippie, and That Transformed the All Blacks
Richie McCaw was named New Zealander of the Year last night. The Crowd Goes Wild’s James McOnie gives his take on the underrated man-management and team cultural strengths that contributed to the All Blacks great’s success.
As the stats whirled around about Richie McCaw’s incredible feats as an All Black (the most astounding: he played in almost a third of all New Zealand test rugby wins in history!) there was a story that couldn’t be told by numbers.
The phrase “team culture” was again raised in the press conference and McCaw credited coach Steve Hansen with driving the change in culture. Hansen has given McCaw similar credit. Clearly the team culture needed some changing then.
There have always been All Black stories of the Lord of the Flies pecking order and initiations, of how some loners never really fitted in. Basically boarding school on drugs.
The fact McCaw went to boarding school (at Otago Boys’ High) may have helped him usher in a newer, more inclusive team environment where first-year All Blacks could offer opinions without fear of being ridiculed or rucked over in the back of the bus, where egos were kept in check, where everyone was valued and welcome, and where anti-social and bitchy behaviour wasn’t tolerated.
Right now, everyone reading this probably wishes McCaw and Hansen managed their workplace. Well, if you work at Christchurch Helicopters you’re in luck.
The fact McCaw transformed that intimidating environment just shows how new age he really is. Richie McCaw is a hippie. Make no mistake. Everyone needs to feel loved because if they do magic happens.
That magic is back-to-back World Cup wins and any number of other trophies and records.
That supportive culture ensured that no-one could spoil team unity. It allowed Ma’a Nonu and Sonny Bill Williams to co-exist in perfect harmony, it meant Liam Messam could play just a few minutes in the entire 2015 tournament but lead the celebrations after the final, and it gave rookie Nehe Milner-Skudder the confidence to be amazing from the get-go in a foreign position (I’m talking about right wing rather than fullback, don’t make this dirty).
England and New Zealand at Twickenham Stadium on November 16, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)” width=”860″ height=”520″ />
Of course the biggest change for McCaw’s side came after Wayne Barnes dumped them out of the 2007 World Cup. McCaw took it on the chin. He even managed a smile at the homecoming press conference where every reporter wanted scapegoats to slaughter.
The team noticeably went through changes after that quarterfinal exit. Once Graham Henry and Hansen campaigned hard to keep their jobs, they chilled out a bit. Henry was less schoolmaster and more kindly father figure. Hansen was the gruff but kind uncle who’d nudge the players affectionately. The All Blacks became a family and Richie was the big brother who everyone respected and followed.
With McCaw, the buck always stopped with him. I never once heard him blame anyone for a loss. I never saw him yell at or berate a teammate on the field. Perhaps in the All Blacks you don’t have a reason to do that often but imagine the pressure on this team to win? It’s unreasonable, but there was no complaint from McCaw. He just rose to that challenge even though in the professional era, with everyone sharing information and training the same way, it’s even harder to maintain that spectacular win percentage. One of McCaw’s unsung achievements is helping ensure the All Blacks still haven’t lost to Scotland, Ireland or Argentina ever, and still haven’t been defeated by Wales since 1953.
On a side note, I’ve never seen him get pissed off in a press conference. He really is a remarkable man.
As a player, McCaw was tremendous right till the end. He didn’t possess the kind of greatness that’ll get you out of your chair every five minutes but he had dependability, toughness, the attitude of a champion, humility, oh and tackles and turnovers in abundance. As a Waikato lad, I grew up worshipping openside flanker Duane Monkley for the exact same qualities.
McCaw took things a lot further of course on the global stage, and added longevity, leadership and an aura that very few captains have… Willie John McBride, John Eales, Buck Shelford, Bobby Moore, Franz Beckenbauer spring to mind. That’s a line-up of Jedi Masters right there.
So, with McCaw and five of his trusted lieutenants gone from the All Blacks, will the team culture continue in the same vein? Well if the new leaders — Kieran Read, Sam Cane, Sam Whitelock, Jerome Kaino, Victor Vito and Ben Smith — are anything to go by, the McCaw principles will carry on strong. After all they were nurtured and allowed to flourish in that culture.
There’ll never be another McCaw. Or Carter. Or Nonu. Or Lomu. But new stars will shine bright and New Zealand will fall in love with the next generation and the next captain, just as long as they keep that ego in check and win 90% of the time.
Comments on RugbyPass
A wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
24 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to comments