New Zealand assistant coach Steve Hansen defends captain Richie McCaw
New Zealand assistant coach Steve Hansen has defended captain Richie McCaw, after Ireland flanker Stephen Ferris became the latest player to accuse the All Black of illegally slowing the ball down.
McCaw is one of the best open-side flankers in the game and he is considered a master of playing on the verge of off-side and slowing opposition balls down. Quick balls from rucks are crucial for any attack and McCaw has been criticised on numerous occasions
for slowing the ball down illegally and disrupting attacks.
Hansen stated that the legality of McCaw’s play was becoming a boring subject, after Ferris suggested that McCaw had illegally slowed down the ball and stopped Ireland from attacking when they had an opportunity to score tries. “That’s becoming quite boring
now I think. He is the greatest open-side flanker in the game and he probably knows the rules better than the referees,” Hansen told reporters.
Hansen suggested that the player was not doing anything illegal at the break down and said, “If he makes a tackle and ends up on their side of the tackle, he is allowed to be there and compete for the ball until a ruck is formed. A ruck is not formed until
two players are bound over the ball so he is not doing anything illegal.”
Referee Alain Roland was criticised for not sending McCaw off in their Tri-Nations game for persistent fouling, while former Australian hooker Phil Kearns indicated that McCaw was never penalised for his foul play, during the Wallabies victory over New Zealand
in the Bledisloe Cup last month.
The New Zealand assistant coach was critical of players and the media in tarnishing McCaw’s reputation. “Every time he goes to speak to a referee about a penalty, which most of the time he has not given away, a commentator will say ‘there is the ref talking
to McCaw again, he should have been yellow-carded’. It’s quite disrespectful, but all it does is make Richie play better, so I can put up with the boredom if it keeps motivating him. It’s just an excuse really,” said Hansen.
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