McCaw’s bottom line: ‘I never want to lose’

Seeing the All Blacks get slapped about by England may be a Kiwi fan’s worst scenario but Richie McCaw says any defeat in the black jersey is galling.

It isn’t a sensation the All Blacks captain has experienced very often since raising the World Cup in Auckland in 2011, however, with just two losses – to England in 2012 and to South Africa last month – inflicted since the New Zealanders beat France in the final at Eden Park.

Today the All Blacks will use their match against England at Twickenham as a simulated World Cup quarterfinal before their final tour matches against Scotland and Wales round out early preparations for the tournament in England and Cardiff next year.

Although defeat to England wouldn’t be a disaster – unlike a World Cup there would be no need to pack their bags for the flight home – a dark cloud is certain to hover over McCaw’s head afterwards.

When asked if succumbing to England, a country no-one wants to lose to, is the most bitter pill to gobble in international rugby, McCaw put it this way: “Well, this week certainly.

“I just think it’s because of the rivalry that’s there, you know? I never want to lose as an All Black, it doesn’t matter who it is. It’s just the bottom line.”

The 33-year-old then noted that the 38-21 loss to England at Twickenham in late 2012 was difficult to accept because the All Blacks couldn’t take out their frustrations out in a game the following weekend.

“Two years ago, going away and having a month after having had a loss, and in the end it was quite a few points, it made it an interesting old summer,” he said.

“I don’t want to have that sort of summer again, so we will have to get the job right this week. I’m pretty sure the guys are motivated to not let that happen again.”

England pounced on a tired and predictable All Blacks side that day and despite the New Zealanders winning their last four encounters, three in New Zealand in June and one in London late last year, the 2012 result has regularly cropped up in a variety of forums this week.

McCaw acknowledged England applied the blowtorch that afternoon and his side paid the price for their inability to strike back when backed into a corner.

“It is easy for people to always look at results and say ‘that was the way it should have been or that was out of the box’ but we realise if we aren’t on the job, and a team get their tails up, it doesn’t take much to swing back the other way.

“England are a good team and they believe in themselves. That day we got under pressure and we didn’t cope with it very well for a whole number of reasons.”

Meanwhile, McCaw produced a nifty side-step when asked if he was concerned about the lack of depth in top referees ahead of the World Cup.

Given some of the blunders made during the Rugby Championship by several officials this should be a worry for the IRB ahead of their showcase tournament.

Wales’ Nigel Owens will control the test at Twickenham and McCaw, who wasn’t daft enough to antagonise the whistler, gave him the thumbs up.

“It is what it is. There’s some good ones around and Nigel is certainly one of them and Craig Joubert, (who we had) last week, is a damned good ref and experienced too.

“Whether there is depth there – I am not in a very good position to answer because I don’t think that is appropriate for me to do that.

“They are human, they make mistakes at times. We have to make sure we got our own house in order first before we start looking at the guy with the whistle.”

– Stuff