http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411749/1243685
McCaw: Payback a big motivation
Jul 19, 2007
Richie McCaw admits payback is a huge motivator for his All Blacks side this weekend.
McCaw has chosen to ignore much of the criticism leveled at his play by both South Africa and the Wallabies over the last few weeks.
Instead he is just concentrating on leading his team to a Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup double at Eden Park.
He says it's not hard to fire up when memories of the MCG defeat are still fresh in the camp.
McCaw says the Wallabies took the game away from them in Melbourne and they are lucky to get a chance to avenge that and keep the silverware in New Zealand.
Meanwhile the cameo man Brendon Leonard is back on the bench and is looking to keep in simple in his first Bledisloe Cup test.
He says he has to do what he did against South Africa and not try and force the game, but just clear the ball well.
Leonard says he doesn't believe he's the All Blacks number two halfback, preferring to think of himself simply as the right man for the job.
***
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/454218/1238370
Unlikely ally for McCaw
Jul 18, 2007
Richie McCaw found an unlikely ally on Tuesday with Wallabies back-rower David Lyons defending the besieged All Blacks captain following claims he cheats.
South African captain Johann Muller was fuming after his side's 33-6 Tri-Nations loss to the All Blacks in Christchurch last Saturday when the visitors had their openside flanker Pedrie Wannanberg sent to the sin bin for playing the ball on the ground.
McCaw was earlier penalised for the same offense in his own quarter but not given a yellow card by referee Stuart Dickinson.
Muller said that McCaw had been made a protected species by referees and they were too scared to send him to the sin bin.
However, Lyons, who was named at number eight for Saturday night's Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup decider at Auckland's Eden Park, said McCaw was only doing what quality openside flankers were supposed to do - walk a fine line when it comes to the rules.
"The thing about the good seven's (openside flankers) is that they play on the edge all of the time and all of them at sometime will be criticised by different people so you've got to expect that," Lyons said.
"Richie is a great player."
Wallabies coach John Connolly agreed with Lyons on McCaw's talent but he wasn't so assertive when asked if the All Black's skipper intimidates referees.
"I'm not sure, I hope not," Connolly said.
Just to make certain, Connolly said he would have a chat with Welsh referee Nigel Owens about McCaw before Saturday's match.
"We'll talk to the referees, but the referees do their homework these days and I think Richie McCaw is a great player but he plays very close to the wind," Connolly said.
"The issue with Richie is that he does roll around the other side and slides around the side of scrums and he gets away with what he can and that's fine.
"We'd like the referee to look at it closely and we'll probably raise it of course but not to any great level."
The Australian coach said there would be no shortage of talent in the openside flanker ranks on Saturday night with McCaw lining up against George Smith.
"We've probably got two of the best opensides (flankers) in the world playing on the weekend and a guy like Phil Waugh on the bench who isn't that far behind."
*****
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/video_popup_windows_skin/1243681
The press conference with Richie (4.37)
McCaw: Payback a big motivation
Jul 19, 2007
Richie McCaw admits payback is a huge motivator for his All Blacks side this weekend.
McCaw has chosen to ignore much of the criticism leveled at his play by both South Africa and the Wallabies over the last few weeks.
Instead he is just concentrating on leading his team to a Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup double at Eden Park.
He says it's not hard to fire up when memories of the MCG defeat are still fresh in the camp.
McCaw says the Wallabies took the game away from them in Melbourne and they are lucky to get a chance to avenge that and keep the silverware in New Zealand.
Meanwhile the cameo man Brendon Leonard is back on the bench and is looking to keep in simple in his first Bledisloe Cup test.
He says he has to do what he did against South Africa and not try and force the game, but just clear the ball well.
Leonard says he doesn't believe he's the All Blacks number two halfback, preferring to think of himself simply as the right man for the job.
***
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/454218/1238370
Unlikely ally for McCaw
Jul 18, 2007
Richie McCaw found an unlikely ally on Tuesday with Wallabies back-rower David Lyons defending the besieged All Blacks captain following claims he cheats.
South African captain Johann Muller was fuming after his side's 33-6 Tri-Nations loss to the All Blacks in Christchurch last Saturday when the visitors had their openside flanker Pedrie Wannanberg sent to the sin bin for playing the ball on the ground.
McCaw was earlier penalised for the same offense in his own quarter but not given a yellow card by referee Stuart Dickinson.
Muller said that McCaw had been made a protected species by referees and they were too scared to send him to the sin bin.
However, Lyons, who was named at number eight for Saturday night's Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup decider at Auckland's Eden Park, said McCaw was only doing what quality openside flankers were supposed to do - walk a fine line when it comes to the rules.
"The thing about the good seven's (openside flankers) is that they play on the edge all of the time and all of them at sometime will be criticised by different people so you've got to expect that," Lyons said.
"Richie is a great player."
Wallabies coach John Connolly agreed with Lyons on McCaw's talent but he wasn't so assertive when asked if the All Black's skipper intimidates referees.
"I'm not sure, I hope not," Connolly said.
Just to make certain, Connolly said he would have a chat with Welsh referee Nigel Owens about McCaw before Saturday's match.
"We'll talk to the referees, but the referees do their homework these days and I think Richie McCaw is a great player but he plays very close to the wind," Connolly said.
"The issue with Richie is that he does roll around the other side and slides around the side of scrums and he gets away with what he can and that's fine.
"We'd like the referee to look at it closely and we'll probably raise it of course but not to any great level."
The Australian coach said there would be no shortage of talent in the openside flanker ranks on Saturday night with McCaw lining up against George Smith.
"We've probably got two of the best opensides (flankers) in the world playing on the weekend and a guy like Phil Waugh on the bench who isn't that far behind."
*****
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/video_popup_windows_skin/1243681
The press conference with Richie (4.37)
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