Midi Olympique Magazine nb 101.

Richie McCaw wants to forget the RWC

en français : http://marylanceron.blogspot.com/2008/07/midi-olympique-n101.html

pics : http://marylanceron.blogspot.com/2008/08/mom-article-photos.html

“I doubted a lot”

At the heart of the critics that followed the All Blacks (ABs) defeat, RMC wants to end the story. The ABs captain enjoyed playing and winning the Super 14 (S14) with the Crusaders. His next goal : the 2011 RWC.

By Jérôme Fredon,
Pics by Bernard Garcia,
Translation : MaryL

Nine months after the RWC, are you over it?
Sometimes, this painful memory of the defeat against France comes back to my mind. But I have learnt to take it with philosophy. The toughest was that over the last eight months, any speech about the ABs was about the past. There was of course a lot of disappointment and hard work. For nothing! I was fortunate to soon have opportunities to go back to the field and move forward. In the sense that the victory in the S14 was very good to me because it made me evacuate the devils of Cardiff. Today, I can say I’m over it.

What did you do to forget?
After the RWC, I took a six-week break. I spent Christmas with my parents near Christchurch, then I went to our family holiday house to fish, water ski and glide. I got my gliding licence last year. I was born in this region and I love going back there. I love flying : it enables me to refresh my mind and also fill me up with energy. Up there, there is no one to bother you.

The independent report released in April to the NZRU reveals that the staff had asked you to drop but that you didn’t take account. Why such a choice?
(embarrassed smile) Carl [Heyman] came to me during the last 15min. and told me the staff wanted us to drop as soon as we would have the opportunity to. But I decided to go against the instructions because I had the feeling that we would succeed in scoring a try or getting a penalty, which would have enabled us to play according to our principles. After I realized it was a mistake. But what do you want? For 4 years, we had built our successes thanks to a game of attacks. I made a choice, I have learnt to live with.

About that, many people in NZ reproached you with this decision, saying that you were a bad captain. Do you have the feeling to be pointed at as the scape goat?
Saying that I appreciated these critics would be lying. Everything because my position on the field doesn’t make me see the whole game : my head is constantly in mauls, rucks, … and that would make me lose some lucidity. That’s quite funny! They all forgot that I am a human being and therefore I’m not perfect. Whatever my position, I make mistakes. I have never said I had stopped learning, even now that I am 27! Everytimes I go and play, I learn. So to me playing flanker and being captain is not a problem. But as everybody has their opinions on the subject, I prefer not telling more. You know, I think that NZ is the Brazil of rugby : every defeat is banished ans hard to be forgiven. You gotta live with it.

Yet when you came back to Christchurch airport from France, the welcome was pretty warm…
That’s true. Seeing there thousands of fans applauding us as if we had won staggered me. It was a real surprise to me. It was not like in 2003*. But slowly passion rose up and the critics appeared.
*After the SF lost to Australia (22/10), some Abs got their luggage back at the airport with ‘loser’ written on.

Were the critics against Graham Henry (Ted) justified?
Not really. Of course we didn’t play as well as we used to but Ted was not playing. All this anti-Ted campaign before his re-appointment and these pas weeks shocked me. People made him a …. It’s not fair but it’s life. We players are the only responsible people of this failure. As I didn’t follow the advice of the drop kicking, I take my responsibility of the failure too.

Indeed NZ didn’t play their best rugby that night. But do you really think that the best team won?
Sure. That night, France performed very well, especially in defense where they were very generous as thei pushed back our attacks. We were not able to score on our occasions and committed many little mistakes. They were just too good. There is nothing else to say about their winning.

But don’t you think it was strange to get only one penalty during the 2nd HT as you spent most of the last 15min in the French 22m?
(smiling) I see your point here. I think it’s important to keep some dignity about the way of refereeing. Even if I thought the ref was bad, I wouldn’t tell you. I keep my opinion to myself. Whether he is good or bad, the ref. Is part of the game. If we didn’t get through the following round, it’s because we were not strong enough.

During the 1st match in June vs. Ireland, the Wellington Stadium was far from being sold our. Do you think that because of this defeat during the RWC, the Abs lost support from their fans?
I understood the people who didn’t attend the match because it was freaking freezing! It was the worst weather conditions I’ve ever had to play in –most of us! I really don’t think the Abs are less supported. People are a bit angry, it’s logical. When you play with the Abs, you must be perfect and always win. And even if we failed, I think that with the time, anger will vanish.
Personal note to Jérôme Fredon : us, Abs fans, Richie Girls, whatever our name, have always believed in our boyz! It seems that they are aware of it =)

Despite all this, you chose to extend your contract with the NZRU till 2011 ; why?
Simply because this black jersey is the most important thing for me. Of course I could play abroad and get richer. But it’s not about money. To me wearing another jersey than the Black Jersey wouldn’t have the same taste. I still have a goal, the one of being world champion. I decided to stay in NZ to accomplish this dream.

Yet, in your new contract, you have the possibility to take a sabbatical before 2011. Do you have any doubts?

Not at all. It’s just a way of having an exit-door just in case, you know… But for now, I have no will to use this sabbatical option. I feel fresh mentally and physically. So I stay. I honestly see myself playing in NZ till 2011.

Backstage, the word has it that you hesitated a lot…
True. Especially during the weeks after the RWC. It was hard for me to see my future. 2011 seemed so far. Spending time with my friends and family, being in the middle of nowhere allowed me to take a new start. I had time to weigh the pros and counters. Looking back at it now, I think the conditioning camps of last year was really great. It may have enabled me to gain some years in my career. Without this program, I wouldn’t have extended my contract.

If you need time off, it means that you are not that fresh physically…
Over the years, I have learnt to be more careful, to listen to my body. Without extra time off, I wouldn’t be able to play much longer and live my dream in 2011. especially if the number of matches in the s14 grows over the next years. The Abs staff and the “heads” of the NZRU are aware of this –which is very good.

About that, what do you think of Ted’s idea to use you as a non open side flanker, (open side being your position)?
Why not? Ted’s idea to see me play on the other side came after long talks we had. I told him I felt fit but I needed more time to get my strength back. After an international match, I now need 3 or 4 days to get all my strength. This new position would enable me to play and save some energy.

What do you mean?
For now, the staff gave up this idea as Rodney plays ‘upper’, yet they gave me new objectives : asking me to ‘battle’ less in the rucks to be more available on the openside and carry the ball more.

And you like that?
Of course! Even though my main mission remains to slow the release of the ball and catch it.

You play a bad role, you are often the target of critics. What do you think about you reputation of a cheater –especially when there is a ‘gathering’?
I am often on the limits but I’m not more a cheater than any other player. I got this reputation because I’m the captain of the Abs : in NZ, passion for rugby is so intense that people tend to say it’s more important than being the PM.

Is it hard to live in stardom?
Sometimes. It makes me uncomfortable to be stared at. My dad was a farmer, I grew up in a region where life is tough. I have never thought I would live this kind of life, so commented, under scrutiny. But I am not the only one : every player wearing the black jersey gets the same ‘treatment’. Our moves out of the field are more spied on now. But if you look at every sport, we all got the same evolution. In the end, the pleasure to play is more important than living in a kind of aquarium.

One last word on Robbie Deans, your mentor with the Crusaders who is now the head coach for the Wallabies. Would you have wanted to have him as the head coach for the Abs?
Joker! Regarding my position, I can’t answer this question. The future of the Abs depends on the people at the board. Not on the players. What I can tell you is that it is weird for me to see him on the other side. We have lived so many great moments together. I owe him everything. He launched me with the Crusaders and that made me become an AB. He is an amazing guy and a great coach.

The main reason of his success with the Crusaders?

With him it’s team first, people second. Whoever you were (1st cap with the Crusaders or 50th with the ABs), he always treated people equally. He would always tell us that what matters is to have a champion team, not a team of champions. As you can see, the message was well understood. Because we were all on the same boat, believing in the same speech. Whatever the changes, the team every year, the Crusaders have kept winning. I’m sure he’s gonna use the same method with the Wallabies. I’m really looking fwd to meeting him again. I hope it’s gonna happen during the TN, if I get fit again.