Murray Kinsella reports from Pennyhill Park
RICHIE MCCAW HAS declined to say whether Saturday’s World Cup final will be his last game of professional rugby.
The 34-year-old has been widely expected to end his international career – and his club career too – following the clash with Australia at Twickenham.
The New Zealand captain will win Test cap number 148 in this weekend’s World Cup decider, but has yet to confirm exactly what his post-tournament plans entail.
McCaw’s name was absent from the Crusaders’ squad list for the 2016 Super Rugby competition, an apparent indicator that he will step away from the Christchurch franchise. However, the openside flanker stated today that he believes the Crusaders would take him back into the fold if he decides to play on.
McCaw indicated that his failure to clearly define his post-World Cup plans has been because he never wanted the build-up to the Kiwis’ push for a second consecutive title to be about him.
The New Zealand captain has been keen to avoid a long goodbye, both in his own mind and everyone else’s.
I haven’t announced anything. I’ve purposefully not gone into that as I want to make sure I don’t get all hung up on what this tournament may or may not be,” said McCaw at Pennyhill Park.
“I will make a decision when I get back home. Steve Tew (the CEO of New Zealand Rugby) said there’s still a spot there if I want it.”
“I just want to play this weekend the best I can. You still do the same things you do as if you are going to play on for years. You don’t want to think ‘this is the last time, last time.’ It hasn’t entered my mind this week.
“I’ve made no secret I’ll have to reflect on things but I just want to do this week right.”
I liked Stan as a player. It’s such a pity that it’s his stint as manager, that gets all the attention.
@Logan Shepherd: the buck stopped with him though pal
@Logan Shepherd: when i think of him now i remember the player. Great servent for ireland
@my name: As manager, yes of course it did. He should never have been given the job though imo.
@Brian Dunne: He was surely Brian.
@my name: haha – sorry, made me laugh .
@Logan Shepherd: I know mate but wasn’t that his mantra when he got the gig
@my name: Yes, I was suitably pink around the jowls when I realised I had missed that …
@Logan Shepherd: only messing. I’ve a lot of respect for Stan a great pleaser and brilliant servant to his country
Stan is a gentleman.a great player and servant for this country.the fai if I remember told the media we were getting a world class manager and they rolled out stan.i think the fai had somebody else lined up the deal didn’t happen they panicked.
Stephen Ireland could, and probably would, have had a great career for the national team and for whatever club he was at, if he was a bit more tactful during that time. What a shame.
He had no managerial experience. Only the FAI would have made such an appointment. Having Bobby Robson as his right hand man was just plain embarrassing. I still remember Dunphy’s headline and thinking that Dunphy was on the money again
Stan was a great player & no one can question his commitment to the Irish cause but it just goes to prove that all good players don’t necessarily make good managers. I remember cringing at some of his comments in interviews. You’ll give the foreign managers the benefit of the doubt with the language barrier but some of his media stuff was embarrassing. Knowing what we know now he probably didn’t too much help from the powers that be along those lines either.
Given time he would have had some success
I’m the gaffer ⚽️
Bit of Stanley Matthews as a player but more Stan Laurel as a manager IMO.