The Real McCaw: Richie McCaw: The Autobiography

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