McCaw - the greatest?

[ex-lucy]

congrats to RM ...

Richie McCaw named IRB player of the year

It is the second successive year McCaw has landed the award and the third time in total, having also been honoured in 2006.

The 29-year-old flanker won the vote ahead of fellow All Black Mils Muliaina, Victor Matfield, Imanol Harinordoquy, David Pocock and Kurtley Beale.

It completed a hat-trick of awards for New Zealand, who were named team of the year with Graham Henry unveiled as coach of the year for a record fourth time.

 

[Davet]

Nah, Peter Winterbottom was better, and so was Neil Back - and of course Backy has a RWC Winners medal....

 

[Dixie]

I think McCaw must be hailed as the greatest flanker of all time. He's dominated perhaps the most highly competitive position in rugby for so many years. Its hard to think of another flanker who has been so pre-eminent for so long (but the contenders were probably All Blacks).

Serge Betson argued that in order to be great rather than simply outstanding, he needs to hold a RWC winners medal. That condition may be met in less than a year, but to me it misses the point that rugby is a team game, and a single great player cannot make up for deficiencies among the other 14 players. If McCaw played for Italy and did for them what he's done for NZ, then he'd have no chance of greatness under Betsen's criterion. That would not in any sense diminish his achievements.

It's like saying that George Best was not a great footballer, because he never won the World Cup with Northern Ireland. Tosh!

 

[Davet]

I didn't say that Backy was better than McCaw because he had a RWC winner medal - simply that he was better, AND just to rub salt in the wound, had a RWC winners medal.

He was better because whilst he was a damn good sneak theif and and won plenty of ball that one didn't really expect was winnable, very much like McCaw - he also had better support running skills that McCaw, could take and give a pass better than McCaw, and read the whole game very well, and could score drop goals.

 

[Toby Warren]

McCawi is certainly one of the greats. Greatest? Who knows.

He always disappointments a little with his hands, he drops more than his fair share.

Having said that he would walk into ANY team in the world.

 

[andyscott]

It's like saying that George Best was not a great footballer, because he never won the World Cup with Northern Ireland. Tosh!

He was on the pitch, but he did the most damage someone possible can do for organ donations, the amount donated hit rock bottom after he did what he did.

 

[L'irlandais]

Has Andy Powell's hit on Richie McCaw already been discussed on here? No card, no citing.

 

[The umpire]

I didn't say that Backy was better than McCaw because he had a RWC winner medal - simply that he was better, AND just to rub salt in the wound, had a RWC winners medal.

He was better because whilst he was a damn good sneak theif and and won plenty of ball that one didn't really expect was winnable, very much like McCaw - he also had better support running skills that McCaw, could take and give a pass better than McCaw, and read the whole game very well, and could score drop goals.

Didn't he also get banned for pushing over the referee just cos his team lost? McCaw may whinge about it but I haven't seen him do anything like that!

 

[SimonSmith]

No no. he pushed someone over who happened to be the referee because he didn't recognize the shirt. Or something.

Judicial whitewash you say? Noooooooo.

 

[Bryan]

In 2007 Will Carling named his top 50 players of all time. 3 Flankers were ranked ahead of McCaw (McCaw was ranked 27).

2. Michael Jones
16. JP Rives
17. P Winterbottom

That being said, in 2009 the Independant put him at the top of the list of players that year.


Finally, in a 2008 list by Barney Corkhill (who, frankly, looks like a 12 year old scouse ginger kid) McCaw doesnt even make the top 3 flankers.

I think Pocock outplayed McCaw in this year's 3-Nations, but I felt McCaw played a better role when combining his skills as a player with that as a captain.

 

[Phil E]

How can he be the best when he is always offside

 

[The Fat]

How can he be the best when he is always offside

:clap: :clap: :clap:

And now we wait........

 

[Dixie]

How can he be the best when he is always offside

Phil, as a player you always had your head buried up some fat boy's bum, so you may not have realised that it's a flanker's job to live offside. What makes McCaw truly great is the fact that he can do this as much as he does without getting pinged.

 

[evilad]

I think that McCaw certainly gets away with a lot more other than other flankers,he is definitely am exceptional player. Would he be as "good" if he was penalised as much if he was pinged for doing what he does? There have definitely been better all round players than him, but he does his job bloody well.

 

[scrumpox2]

Dai Morris, the Shadow, no question about it.

 

[the magpie]

McCaw's dominated in an era when rucking the player was taken out of the game.

Had McCaw played in the era when you could ruck the opposition player who was lying all over the ball on the wrong side of the ruck (which McCaw constantly does), we'll never know how he would have gone with losing the skin off his back every game.

 

[didds]

Serge Betson argued that in order to be great rather than simply outstanding, he needs to hold a RWC winners medal. .. If McCaw played for Italy and did for them what he's done for NZ, then he'd have no chance of greatness under Betsen's criterion.

well, serge shoots himself in the foot then!

It also means that (as we speak) Richie cannot be "the best" but Michael Jones CAN.


Oh.. I could add Richard Hill to that list ;-)

didds

 

[didds]

He always disappointments a little with his hands, he drops more than his fair share.

To be fair to him, the "pace" of the modern game will present more opportunities to knock on. He probably gets more chances to knock on than Graham Mourie did for example.

didds

 

[didds]

No no. he pushed someone over who happened to be the referee because he didn't recognize the shirt. Or something.

Judicial whitewash you say? Noooooooo.

shurely shome mishtake?

;-)

didds

 

[didds]

How can he be the best when he is always offside

surely if he was ALWAYS offside he would be PKd all the time by the ref?

then YC'd?

he is either carrying harry potter's invisibility cloak or actually plays the offside line brilliantly.

Git.

didds