McCaw the Super Crusader

by Super Wrap | www.supersporyt.co.za | 24 March 2008 (19:07)

Richie McCaw, in setting a magnificent example for his teammates to follow in their quest for a seventh Super Rugby title, has revealed the secret of the Crusaders’ success.

The All Black captain, who has turned the 2008 Super 14 tournament into a personal crusade to arise after last year’s RWC disappointment by leading Canterbury to success in what they’ve dubbed “the 13th Crusade” revealed the elusive formula while being interviewed after his team’s victory over the Waratahs at the weekend.

Typically there were no big statements from McCaw but what he said did not elude the SuperWrap for it contained the essence of what makes the Crusaders great.

Referring to the fact that the Crusaders had been trailing 6-7 after 50 minutes, McCaw said he had impressed on his men the need to “look after the ball in contact” before they mounted a surged that resulted in a 34-7 victory.

And there it was. “Look after the ball in contact.”

Much is said about the Crusaders’ tradition, about their depth, about their fitness, about their talented individuals, about their pride, about the coaching of Robbie Deans but contained in all that is a single kernel, one of the oldest axioms, that you cannot play without the ball.

The SuperWrap would like to suggest that South Africa’s five Super Rugby coaches ask SuperSport for a couple of DVDs of McCaw uttering his single profound phrase. “Look after the ball in contact.”

They should play it in team rooms, dressing rooms and on coaches. Insist that the players add it to whatever they listen to on their music players or whatever they look at on their laptops. “Look after the ball in contact.”

Imprint the message and hopefully the players will go to the next stage of emulating the Crusaders by realising what underpins the philosophy revealed by McCaw because once they appreciate that it’s all about “looking after the ball’ they may start to eliminate the errors that have made this, Sharks apart, a dismal season for South Africa.

Because to protect the ball you need superior fitness to provide a constant phalanx of support; you need to be thinking all the time about not giving the ball away; you need to be on top of the set pieces to make sure you win it easily; you need to be aware of where your support is; you need to have the skill to handle it; you need to have imagination to use it cleverly and you need to have utter belief in what you’re doing.

It is the contention of the SuperWrap that the essential problem in South Africa’s teams is, to use another cliché, that they don’t “respect the ball” enough.

This old game is about the ball. Winning it, keeping it, using it to score points and then starting again.

As McCaw says “it’s about keeping composure and doing the right things” -- something markedly lacking in most local teams. When it comes to the Crusaders it is not about their being favoured by the ELVs; they’re simply doing what they’ve always done and that is bringing to every match the machinery needed to control the ball.

And the Crusaders skipper’s professionalism is an object lesson to those many top class players (mostly in the Bulls) who have been doing little more than going through the motions this season.

He sets incredibly high standards as shown by the fact that he is the only player to make the “Super XV”, compiled by the SuperWrap and sundry cronies, as an acknowledgement of form after every week of the first six weeks of the tournament.

The Super XV for Week Five:

1 Simms Davison (Chiefs), 2 Huia Edmonds (Brumbies), 3 John Afoa (Blues), 4 Brad Thorn (Crusaders), 5 Mark Chisholm (Brumbies), 6 Jerome Kaino (Blues), 7 Richie McCaw (Crusaders), 8 Sione Lauaki (Chiefs), 9 Brendon Leonard (Chiefs), 10 Dan Carter (Crusaders), 11 Fetu’u Vainikolo (Highlanders), 12 Tyrone Smith (Brumbies), 13 Casey Laulala (Crusaders), 14 Lelia Masaga (Chiefs), 15 Chris Latham (Reds).

The Bok Barometer for Week Six:

1 Heinke van der Merwe (Lions), 2 Schalk Brits (Stormers), 3 Brian Mujati (Stormers), 4 Danie Rossouw (Bulls), 5 Adriaan Fondse (Stormers), 6 Schalk Burger (Stormers), 7 Wikus van Heerden (Bulls), 8 Joe van Niekerk (Lions), 9 Jano Vermaak (Lions), 10 Jaco van Schalkwyk (Lions), 11 Jongi Nokwe (Cheetahs), 12 Walter Venter (Lions), 13 Jaco Pretorius (Lions), 14 Tonderai Chavhanga (Stormers), 15 Conrad Jantjes (Stormers).

Match of the Week: To the ‘mystery' game, played in the shadow of the most beautiful mountains called the “Remarkables”, at 3.30 in the morning (SA time) between the Highlanders and the Force in Queenstown -- the men from Perth staging their by now customary late rally to take the spoils 36-28. In only their third year of existence the Force have an excellent chance of reaching the semifinals after battling through a tough draw. They have accumulated four wins (out of five) on the road and five of their remaining seven matches will be at home at the Subiaco Oval.

Try of the Week: Fetu’u Vainikolo’s stunning solo effort, speed, step, swerve, for the Highlanders; edging the amazing 70-metre effort by Peter Hynes for the Reds at Ellis Park.

Schlepper of the Week: Steve Walsh. Wikipedia informs the SuperWrap that Matinee Idol, i.e. the star of the Saturday afternoon show, is a term used mainly to describe film or theatre stars who are adored to the point of adulation by their fans (and probably feel the same way about themselves!) and that invariably the adulation is fixated on the actor’s looks rather than his performance. For reasons unkown Walsh has not been a favourite of the Sharks and you can add the Cheetahs to those who will not pay at the gate to see him perform on the whistle. Not only is Walsh colour blind, describing the Cheetahs’ jersey as “red” instead of “orange”, but his petulant reaction to sinbin Falie Oelschig, who had been complaining to the referee about some nefarious deed in a ruck, for foul language was oversensitive in the extreme. Willie Roos had the same reaction to something Stephen Hoiles said the week before. Doubtless the refs will produce thousands of words of justification, but the SuperWrap believes it is time they got off their high horses. All this kind of thing does, is show that the men who play such an important role in a team’s fortunes have no feel for the game they’re involved in.

Quick thinking: Cheetahs captain Rory Duncan trying to convince Steve Walsh that Oelschig had been saying something in Afrikaans!

Bloem bleeps: If Steve Walsh’s sensitive nature was affronted by what he heard Falie say imagine if he had been in Bloemfontein on Friday evening!

We’re waiting… for Kurtis Haiu to be cited. If there’s any equity and consistency in the citing procedure the Blues lock, who was caught on camera punching Stormer Deon Fourie in a maul and then aiming another swing at Brock Harris, simply cannot escape at least a hearing.

Mysteries of the Super 14: Why is it that all the match officials have to be neutral yet the people who have to make arguably the most crucial decisions, the TMO and the citing officer, are local?

Duh?! Dear old Murray Mexted finally finding out why its called a banana kick. It’s not about the islands, or the colour but about the curve! Thanks for joining us Mex!

And the Jorrie goes to…? Mark Gerrard, who joined an illustrious list, that includes props, locks and lady mayors, by missing a shot at goal from right in front.

Congratulations to:

100 Super Rugby matches: George Smith of the Brumbies who almost incredibly reaches the milestone at the age of just 27 after making his debut in 2000 against the Sharks.

50 matches: Guy Shepherdson of the Brumbies and Josh Valentine (35 for the Reds, 12 for the Waratahs).

If you’re good enough… Matt Toomua’s debut for the Brumbies against the Hurricanes recently makes him the fourth youngest player on Super Rugby debut, aged 18 years and 27 days. This means that the five youngest players on debut ever are all Australians -- David Pocock (Force) 18 years 19 days, Kurtley Beale (Waratahs) 18 years 27 days, Sipa Taumoepeau (Brumbies) 18 years 35 days, Toomua and Rob Horne (Waratahs) 18 years 205 days. The youngest ever New Zealander was Doug Howlett (18 years 230 days) and the youngest South African was Jaco van der Westhuyzen (18 years 364 days). Interestingly the Aussies have four others on the list of 18-year-old debutants -- Mark Gerrard, Elton Flatley, Quade Cooper and Caleb Brown.

Quote of the Week I: “One more piece of foul play directed at me, you’re in trouble.” -- Steve Walsh to Falie Oelschig.

Quote of the Week II: “To go three points down, softly like that in a game … the refs don't understand how critical those sort of calls are in the context of the game. It's disappointing they don't understand that. It wasn't dangerous play. He [Williams] didn't go to the ground. [But] there is three points on the scoreboard, a minute and a half into the game. I don't know what it is with the refs. But it seems like we are getting a little bit of the raw end of the deal. Maybe we should stop being so friendly to them in the hotel foyer and things like that." -- Phil Waugh complaining about Craig Joubert’s handling of the Waratahs’ game against the Crusaders.

Quote of the Week III: “It’s getting gentle with the game of rugby.” -- Murray Mexted on the questionable lineout penalty referred to above.

Quote of the Week IV: “Don’t stand and yell how to referee the game.” -- Bryce Lawrence to Chris Latham at Ellis Park.

Quote of the Week V: “He had everyone confused there for a moment, the referee.” -- Aussie commentator Greg Clark says it for all of us.