Last week, Richie McCaw passed my record of test wins as an All Black, and with 48 matches as captain he is fast approaching my record of 51 tests as skipper. All being well, he’ll have overhauled me before the end of the year.
People have been asking me how I feel about Richie beating my records; and I can tell you that I am delighted for him. If you’re going to relinquish a record, it might as well be to a guy who has got an 88% win rate, who is the perfect embodiment of what All Black rugby is about, and who in his career so far has won international newcomer of the year, New Zealand player of the year twice, and IRB player of the year a couple of times too. He is, no doubt, a class act.
The weeks ahead will set the tone for the build-up to the World Cup next year. With some teams surging while others fade, it is a fascinating period.
The All Blacks made just one change to the team that played Wales last night, after their emphatic trouncing of an ill-disciplined Irish side last week, and my immediate reaction was to smile and nod my head appreciatively.
It is a joy to see continuity in selection and while I understand the realities of the modern game necessitate big squads and a degree of rotation, I also know continuity and consistent high performance are natural bedfellows.
Although I suspect Graham Henry will change all that for the next test against the Welsh, there are signs the side is settling. Read more
1. Golf – Tom Watson didn’t win The Open Championship but he captured the hearts of millions around the world with an unbelievable performance at the age of 59. If Watson had won it would have been one of the sporting stories of the century, but his bogey at the 18th hole on the final day saw him slip in to playoff with Stewart Cink, which he eventually lost.
2. Cricket - After scraping a draw in Cardiff, the England cricket team managed to post their first win over the Australians at Lords since 1934. Read more
