Richie McCaw upbeat but cautious ahead of All Blacks’ match against Springboks
All Blacks captain, Richie McCaw, is confident that his side will prevail over the Springboks when both sides meet for their Tri-Nation fixture. However, he believes that the hosts are not an easy ride. Richie McCaw and his team are well-prepared as they intend to wrap up the Tri-Nations crown with a win in Johannesburg.
All Blacks have recently come under criticism after it was revealed that they are getting favourable call from referees in this year’s tournament. However, McCaw has denied such suggestions and has attributed their current streak of results to hard work from his players. Statistics released this week clearly show that New Zealand have been in the good books of referees when compared to the Springboks and Wallabies. These statistics are taken from the tournament’s first five matches. Figures clearly show that the Springboks are the most regular culprits of fouls and are most frequently penalised. Springboks have on average conceded six penalties per yellow card, whereas the Wallabies have conceded seven per card. On the other hand, statistics show that the All Blacks are the most disciplined side as they have conceded negligible 43 penalties per yellow card.
However, McCaw does not fully agree with the statistics. According to him, the refereeing in the tournament has been top-notch and referees have not once shown partiality towards any team. All Blacks’ skipper said, “My point of view is that there has been no disparity in the refereeing. People put stats out and then come to a conclusion, but the statistics don't give the full picture”. He attributed his team’s neat record to team discipline and strategy. He said, “If we feel we are close to a yellow card, then we back off and we don't give away a penalty in that facet again. If you're on the borderline, then you back off, if you're warned about something then you adapt. That's what I make sure I do personally and the team does too”.
Opponents have even criticised and asked for strict action against New Zealand captain, as his ever-present presence at the breakdown has been a great source of annoyance for them. McCaw is accused of closing off the ball and pacing down their possession and stopping the flow of their game. But McCaw believes that his strategy at the breakdown is because of playing in super 14, where he developed this habit. He further suggested that his team’s strategy to dominate up front is the reason behind their continuous success. He said, “The physical battle is crucial. The team that is up for it, that wins that battle, will go a long way to imposing their game on the opposition. For us loose forwards, a lot depends on how our team-mates up front have done. Obviously they've been good so far”.
All Blacks’ form has been phenomenal this year. They have defeated their arch-rivals Australia for a record nine times. Furthermore, they are just one point behind in securing dominance of the Southern Hemisphere. McCaw believes that despite such performances, there is still space for improvement. He said, “I'd be pretty disappointed if we won the Tri-Nations by just getting one point over the next two games. I want us to play better, which means beating the Springboks this weekend, because we could not win here last year”.
On the other hand, McCaw’s South African counterpart John Smit will be looking for an inspirational performance on his 100th Test to ease pressure on himself and his team. McCaw, however, believes that it is a great achievement to play 100 Tests. McCaw, who fought some interesting battles with Smit, believes that Smit is a great leader and a champion player. He said, “I see the way he leads his team, he inspires them and I have a lot of respect for the way he operates, and I plan to get there (100 Tests) too”.
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