As the All Blacks prepare in Wellington this week to surpass the level they reached against the Springboks at Eden Park, what better guest to have in camp than former skipper Richie McCaw, one of the most relentless players to wear the black jersey.
McCaw, who played 148 Tests and led his nation to World Cup victories in 2011 and 2015, has been around the players at their base imparting some of the wisdom thought brought him and the All Blacks so much success under his watch.
After the highs of defending their fortress last weekend in the 24-17 victory over the Boks, which included celebrating vice-captain Ardie Savea’s 100th Test, head coach Scott Robertson has asked for assistance in finding an extra few percentage points this week in the knowledge that backing up an excellent performance with another is one of the hardest things to do in sport.
He could hardly have found a better keeper of standards than McCaw, the now 44-year-old who still looks fit enough to play, as the former skipper’s autobiography attests.
“This jersey will show up the frauds, the imposters,” McCaw wrote in The Open Side.
“It’ll squeeze those who look for shortcuts. You won’t last in this jersey if you’re not prepared to do the things you need to do to fill it.”
For midfielder Quinn Tupaea, who made an immediate impact off the bench for the All Blacks when scoring his team’s third try last weekend, the requirement for improvement was obvious.
“We need to go to another level this week,” he said today. “There was a lot of emotion last week given the occasion with Ardie and Eden Park.
“We’ve got Richie in camp this week so we’re drawing inspiration from him and the history there.
“It’s pretty crazy seeing him in the environment. It’s the first time I’ve met him. I’ve been a fan of his growing up. He just gives us confidence and some inspiration and views from when he was playing the game – it’s awesome having him in the group.”
The All Blacks have already spoken about the response they are expecting from the world champions at the Cake Tin, but, as assistant coach Jason Ryan said recently, they are expecting one from themselves, too.
Apart from their brilliant shaping of the Boks’ defence in the build-up to their first two tries from strike moves, one of the more noticeable things about the home side’s performance was their determination and technique at the breakdown.
Their counter-ruck after the final siren to win back possession from a hard-charging Boks effectively ended the game and they had an edge there throughout – a little surprisingly, perhaps, considering the Boks’ reputation for their physicality.
As Tupaea said, finding that hard edge without the emotional crutch of a recent loss, Savea’s 100th, and defending the Eden Park record will be key.
“We’ve spoken about it,” he said. “It’s tough to get that emotion from last week but it’s a massive game for the All Blacks. We’re always expected to perform well, especially at home, so it’s not hard to get up for these games.”
The 26-year-old Tupaea, who announced today that he had re-signed with the Chiefs and New Zealand Rugby until the end of 2027, said he was a “little” surprised to see Boks coach Rassie Erasmus making seven changes to the team, including a new first-five in Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, midfielders Damian Willemse and Canan Moodie and fullback Aphelele Fassi.
But he added: “They’ve got a few ballers in that backline, a few guys who play with confidence and like to move that ball around. We’re expecting a lot of the same: use their kicking game well, big forwards. Given the backline they’ve named, they may try to move the ball a bit more.”