by Richie McCaw
In late summer, 2012, I drove up the Waitaki Valley to Domett Downs to share tea and scones with Barney McCone and his wife, Gill, in a house that my father painted decades ago when it was built. Our local hero, All Black Phil Gard, ran onto halfback Barney’s passes when he was playing first-five for Kurow. Barney was the first in a line of superlative coaches who have blessed Richie’s career, and he showed me the meticulously kept exercise books where ‘Richard’s’ progress was recorded week by week—a practice repeated by his pupil to this day.
From there I drove up through Kurow and over the big hill to Omarama, where my sister used to teach school, to spend an hour with Gavin Wills at the laid-back Kahu Cafe right by the airfield. Gavin kindly offered to take me up in a glider, but I managed to persuade him to make do with some photographs.
The book is very much Richie’s story, from Richie’s point of view, so I didn’t speak to any of Richie’s current playing colleagues or coaches, apart from Wayne Smith, who gave me a valuable perspective on some critical moments.
My thanks to them all for so generously making time for me. And to others who have supplied material for this book: Brian Ashwin, Richie’s teacher and coach at Otago Boys’ High School, still dedicated to the boys there; Derek Lardelli, the composer of ‘Kapa o Pango’; all the sports journalists I have quoted; and to Geoff Miller and Lindsay Knight for checking the accuracy of the material.
I also want to thank Eric Young, editor of Sky Sport magazine back in 2006, who had a rush of blood and decided I was the man to interview Richie McCaw before the 2007 RWC. I’m not sure how these things work, but I suspect that interview set off a chain reaction that culminated in my writing this book. Certainly, I was still sufficiently intrigued by him four years later to devote one of my RWC columns in Le Monde to him.
Nevertheless, when I received an email from Warren Adler, Editorial Director of Hachette, in mid-December asking me if I was interested in writing sports biographies, I thought it was just a generic enquiry, and was about to write back, saying, No, not really, when I had a second thought. Could it possibly be Richie he wanted me to write about? Probably not, but no harm in keeping my options open: Depends who it is, I replied.
Soon after I got a phone call from Warren, saying that the chap he and Kevin Chapman, Managing Director of Hachette, had in mind was ‘from further up the Waitaki’.
Thanks for thinking of me, Warren and Kevin, in respect of the chap from further up the Waitaki, and for your wholehearted support during the writing process. Even though deadlines were tight, you never once passed the pressure on down to me and Richie.
Speaking of pressure, it’s hard to imagine what Richie’s degree of fame actually means, until you’re out in the world with him. You can’t be a minute late picking him up, because he’ll be surrounded by people wanting his autograph and photos by the time you get there. You might be sitting in a car with him outside an office block wondering—because after three hours with him, you’ve forgotten for a moment or two who he is—why those women have suddenly appeared at the entrance and are giggling and waving, or why that jaywalker in Queen Street has stopped in front of you and is jumping up and down and pointing. If the kids at the school next to our home had spotted his comings and goings there’d have been a mini riot. While Richie accepts that fame is a tap that can’t be turned off when he’s had enough, I’m pretty sure he wishes it could be. He’s got an awful lot of life left to live, and I hope he’s able to do that according to his own lights, without letting others’ perceptions of what he should be inhibit or constrain him.
Thanks, Richie. As you say about other men you respect enormously, you’re a good bugger.
Greg McGee, July 2012
Index of names
Bold page numbers refer to photographs.
Afoa, John ref1
Alcock, Warren ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Alexander, Ben ref1
Apiata, Willie ref1
Ashley–Cooper, Adam ref1
Ashwin, Brian ref1, ref2, ref3
Bands, Richard ref1
Barcella, Fabien ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Barnes, Berrick ref1
Barnes, Wayne ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8
Bateman, Tim ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Bates, Steven ref1, ref2
Beale, Kurtley ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Beauxis, Lionel ref1, ref2, ref3
Bennett, Wayne ref1, ref2
Berra, Yogi ref1, ref2
Berryman, Norm ref1
Betsen, Serge ref1
Bills, Peter ref1, ref2
Blackadder, Todd (Toddy) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12
Blair, Ben ref1, ref2
Bonnaire, Julien ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6
Boric, Anthony (AB) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
Borlase, Pete ref1
Botha, Bakkies ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Bowden, Dan ref1
Bowe, Tommy ref1
Braid, Daniel ref1
Braid, Don ref1
Breen, John ref1
Brett, Stephen ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Brooke, Zinzan (Zinny) ref1
Brussow, Heinrich ref1
Buchanan, John ref1
Bunce, Frank ref1
Burger, Schalk ref1, ref2, ref3
Byrne, Lee ref1
Byrne, Mick ref1, ref2
Campbell, Alastair ref1
Carter, Dan (DC) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19, ref20, ref21, ref22, ref23, ref24, ref25, ref26, ref27, ref28, ref29, ref30, ref31, ref32, ref33, ref34, ref35, ref36, ref37, ref38, ref39, ref40, ref41, ref42, ref43, ref44, ref45, ref46, ref47, ref48, ref49, ref50, ref51, ref42, ref43, ref44, ref45, ref46, ref47, ref48, ref49, ref50, ref51, ref52, ref53
Castrogiovanni, Martin ref1
Chabal, Sebastien ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6
Chisholm, Mark ref1
Clark, Helen ref1
Clarke, Craig ref1
Clerc, Vincent ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8
Collins, Errol ref1
Collins, Jerry ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Cook, David ref1, ref2
Cooper, Colin ref1
Cooper, Quade ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14
Cotter, Vern ref1
Cowan, Jimmy ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9
Cribb, Ron ref1
Crockett, Wyatt (Crocky) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9
Cron, Mike ref1
Crotty, Ryan ref1, ref2
Crowley, Kieran ref1
Cruden, Aaron ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11
Dagg, Israel (Izzy) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13
Dalton, Andy ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Davidson, Andrew ref1
Deaker, Murray ref1
Deans, Robbie ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19, ref20, ref21, ref22, ref23, ref24, ref25
Dermody, Clarke ref1, ref2
de Villiers, Jean ref1, ref2, ref3
Dickinson, Stu ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Dominici, Christophe ref1
Donald, Stephen (Beaver) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19
Donnelly, Tom ref1, ref2
Doussain, Jean–Marc ref1
Drake, John ref1
du Plessis, Bismarck ref1
du Plessis, Jannie ref1
du Preez, Fourie ref1, ref2
Dunning, Matt ref1
Dupuy, Julien ref1
Dusautoir, Thierry ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, re
f19, ref20, ref21, ref22
Eagle, Mike ref1
Eales, John ref1
Eaton, Jason ref1
Edgar, Adam ref1
Edgar, Eion ref1
Elissalde, Jean–Baptiste ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8
Ellis, Andy ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9
Elsom, Rocky ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Enoka, Gilbert (Bert) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11
Erasmus, Rassie ref1
Ettingshausen, Andrew ref1
Evans, Bryn ref1
Evans, Ceri ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7
Evans, Nick ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
Fainga’a, Anthony ref1
Federer, Roger ref1
Filipo, Ross ref1
Fitzpatrick, Sean (Fitzy) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Flavell, Troy ref1
Flood, Toby ref1
Flynn, Corey ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10
Ford, Mike ref1
Fotuali’i, Kahn ref1, ref2, ref3
Fourie, Jaque ref1, ref2
Fox, Grant (Foxy) ref1
Frank Bunce ref1
Franks, Ben ref1, ref2
Franks, Owen (Franksy) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9
Fruean, Robbie ref1, ref2, ref3
Gallagher, Pete ref1, ref2
Gallaway, Iain ref1
Gard, Hamish ref1
Gard, Phil ref1, ref2, ref3
Gatland, Warren ref1
Gear, Hosea ref1, ref2
Gear, Rico ref1, ref2
Genia, Will ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8
Gibson, Daryl ref1
Gilbert, Tony ref1
Gill, Nic ref1, ref2
Giteau, Matt ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Gopperth, Jimmy ref1
Gray, Wynne ref1
Gregan, George ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
Growden, Greg ref1
Guildford, Zac ref1, ref2
Habana, Bryan ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
Hainer, Herbert ref1
Hammett, Mark ref1, ref2
Hansen, Steve (Shag) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19, ref20, ref21, ref22, ref23, ref24, ref25, ref26, ref27, ref28
Harding, Sam ref1, ref2
Harinordoquy, Imanol ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14
Hart, John ref1
Haskell, James ref1
Hayes, Don ref1
Hayman, Carl (Zarg) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8
Heaslip, Jamie ref1
Hegan, Dean ref1
Henry, Graham (Ted) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19, ref20, ref21, ref22, ref23, ref24, ref25, ref26, ref27, ref28, ref29, ref30, ref31, ref32, ref33, ref34, ref35, ref36, ref37, ref38, ref39, ref40, ref41, ref42, ref43, ref44, ref45, ref46
Henry, Raewyn ref1
Heron, Mike ref1
Hewett, Dave ref1, ref2
Heymans, Cedric ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Hobbs, Jock ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11
Hoeata, Jarrad ref1
Holt, Hayley ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
Hore, Andrew (Horey) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19, ref20
Horwill, James ref1, ref2
Hougaard, Derick ref1, ref2
Howlett, Doug ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6
Humphreys, David ref1
Hurst, Ben ref1
Hurst, Gloria ref1
Hurst, Ian (Archie) ref1
Ibanez, Raphael ref1, ref2
Ihaka, James ref1
Ioane, Digby ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Jack, Chris (Jacko) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9
James, Dave ref1
Jane, Cory ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11
Januarie, Ricky ref1, ref2
Jauzion, Yannick ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7
John, Barry ref1
Johnson, Tony ref1
Johnstone, Campbell ref1, ref2
Jones, Ryan ref1
Jones, Stephen (journalist) ref1
Jones, Stephen (player) ref1, ref2
Jonker, Marius ref1
Joubert, Craig ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7
Kahui, Richard (Kakas) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9
Kaino, Jerome (JK) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19, ref20, ref21, ref22, ref23, ref24, ref25
Kankowski, Ryan ref1
Kaplan, Jonathan ref1, ref2, ref3
Kawau, Jason ref1
Kefu, Toutai ref1
Kelleher, Byron ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
Key, John ref1
Kirk, David ref1
Kirwan, John (JK) ref1, ref2
Knowler, Richard ref1, ref2
Kronfeld, Josh ref1, ref2
Kyle, Jackie ref1
Lam, Pat ref1, ref2
Larkham, Stephen ref1
Latimer, Tanerau ref1
Lauaki, Sione ref1, ref2
Laulala, Casey ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
Lawrence, Bryce ref1, ref2, ref3
Lawson, Dominic ref1
Leonard, Brendon ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6
Leota, Johnny ref1
Levi, Filipo ref1
Lewis, Paul ref1
Lievremont, Marc ref1, ref2, ref3
Lochore, Sir Brian (BJ) ref1, ref2, ref3
Loe, Richard ref1, ref2, ref3
Lomu, Jonah ref1
Lowe, Graham ref1, ref2
Lowe, William ref1
Lucas, Ben ref1
MacDonald, Hoani ref1
MacDonald, Leon (Rangi) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12
Mains, Laurie ref1, ref2
Maitland, Sean ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7
Marconnet, Sylvain ref1, ref2, ref3
Marshall, Justin ref1
Marshall, Tom ref1
Martin, Ryan ref1
Marty, David ref1, ref2
Mas, Nicolas ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
Masoe, Chris ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Mason, Rhett ref1
Matfield, Victor ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
Mauger, Aaron ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11
McAlister, Luke ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13
McCaw, Alex ref1, ref2, ref3
McCaw, Donald ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19, ref20, ref21, ref22, ref23, ref24
McCaw, Ian ref1, ref2
McCaw, Jim ref1, ref2
McCaw, Joanna (Jo) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18
McCaw, John ref1
McCaw, Margaret ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19, ref20, ref21, ref22, ref23
McCone, Barney ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4,
McCone, Ross ref1
McIlraith, Matt ref1
McKenzie, Ewen ref1, ref2
McLay, John (Bigsy) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9
McLay, Peter ref1
McLean, Aussie ref1, ref2
McMillan, Gervan ref1
Meads, Sir Colin (Pinetree) ref1
Mealamu, Keven (Kevvy) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12
&nbs
p; Medard, Maxime ref1
Mehrtens, Andrew (Mehrts) ref1, ref2
Mermoz, Maxime ref1, ref2, ref3
Messam, Liam ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Michalak, Frederic ref1, ref2
Mika, Brad ref1
Miles, John ref1
Millar, Syd ref1
Mitchell, Drew ref1, ref2
Mitchell, John ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7
Morgan, Cliff ref1
Mortlock, Stirling ref1, ref2
Muliaina, Mils ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19, ref20, ref21, ref22, ref23, ref24, ref25, ref26, ref27, ref28, ref29, ref30
Mumm, Dean ref1
Mustchin, Bryan ref1
Nacewa, Isa ref1
Nallet, Lionel ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Ndungane, Akona ref1
Newby, Craig ref1
Nicol, Rob ref1
Nonu, Ma’a ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19, ref20, ref21, ref22, ref23, ref24, ref25
Nordmeyer, Arnold ref1
Norman, Greg ref1
Nucifora, David ref1, ref2, ref3
O’Brien, Paddy ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7
O’Connor, James ref1, ref2, ref3
O’Driscoll, Brian ref1, ref2
O’Gara, Ronan ref1, ref2
O’Neill, John ref1
O’Neill, Kevin ref1
O’Reilly, Peter ref1
Oliver, Anton ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10
Paku, Shannon ref1
Palisson, Alexis ref1
Palmer, Tom ref1
Parra, Morgan ref1
Paul, Gregor ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Paulo, Ti’i ref1, ref2
Payne, Jared ref1
Pelous, Fabien ref1, ref2, ref3
Pienaar, Ruan ref1
Plumtree, John ref1
Pocock, David ref1, ref2
Poff, Jonathan ref1
Poite, Romain ref1
Poki, Kade ref1, ref2
Poux, Jean–Baptiste ref1
Quinlan, Alan ref1
Quinn, Paul ref1
Ralph, Caleb ref1
Rattue, Chris ref1
Read, Kieran (Reado) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19, ref20, ref21, ref22, ref23, ref24, ref25, ref26, ref27, ref28, ref29, ref30, ref31, ref32, ref33, ref34, ref35, ref36, ref37, ref38, ref39, ref40, ref41, ref42, ref43
