A priority for those who organise events is the ability to “surprise and delight” an audience, and in terms of mystery guests at an All Blacks World Cup squad announcement they don’t come much bigger than Richie McCaw.
It was the former All Blacks captain who was given what he later described as the privilege of announcing the 33 players in alphabetical order yesterday, beginning of course with the three Barrett brothers and ending with Codie Taylor.
McCaw’s presence in front of a crowd of about 1500 at the Pettigrew Green Arena in Napier is a continuation of his involvement with the All Blacks this year, along with fellow former players Dan Carter, Conrad Smith, Kieran Read, Liam Messam and Keven Mealamu.
It is part of head coach Ian Foster’s plan to inspire and educate his squad ahead of the World Cup and the inspirational part of the equation is probably the most important factor.
This will be Foster’s third World Cup and assistant Joe Schmidt has also been to two (with Ireland). Veteran lock Sam Whitelock is about to go to his fourth. They have just about seen it all, but none have the mana that McCaw possesses.
Taking the announcement to Hawke’s Bay, devastated by the floods earlier this year, feeds into Foster’s desire to remind his players who they are representing, and that also applies to the former greats who have been included in a build-up which started in January.
For all of the apparent bonhomie between New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson, present at the announcement, and his organisation and the squad and coaches, a divide that stems from how Foster and his management group were treated last year by the board will likely still remain.
There is no doubt that Foster and company were deeply hurt by the board’s decision to advertise his role last year rather than wait until the end of this one and an element of distrust and anger will linger.
To that end, bringing men such as McCaw closer to the squad this year is likely an attempt to provide his players with a distillation of what it truly means to be an All Black.
In other words, you don’t have to do it for New Zealand Rugby (capital R). Do it instead for New Zealand rugby (small r), the community, and men such as McCaw, who won back-to-back World Cups as skipper after the devastation of 2007.
Sixteen of the squad were in Japan four years ago, including Whitelock and other senior figures such as skipper Sam Cane, Dane Coles, Brodie Retallick, Codie Taylor, Beauden Barrett and Aaron Smith.
Cane, 31, will continue into next year and beyond but those others, with the possible exception of Barrett, won’t play for the All Blacks again.
McCaw, who bowed out in just about the best way possible following the All Blacks’ World Cup final victory over Australia in 2015, can illustrate the commitment required to win the Webb Ellis Cup, and former coach Sir Steve Hansen gave an insight there when speaking on Breakfast this morning.
Hansen said: “The big difference I think is in 2019 we were trying to win it for the third time in a row and there were a lot people that sat in the changing shed after we got beaten by England were very disappointed and a lot of those guys are back there, and it will be the last opportunity they get so they'll be desperate and a desperate All Black team is a good All Black team.”
McCaw told 1News last night about the importance of expecting the unexpected.
“You try and make things perfect but it’s never going to be like that,” he said. “Every team going over there is going to have their challenges. Whatever comes along you have to deal with – whether it’s injuries or referees or other teams… if it was easy it wouldn’t mean as much.”
With a perfect four-from-four record this year and the All Blacks moving into a world ranking of No.2 by playing with real clarity and energy, they themselves may have the potential to surprise and delight in France.
And men such as McCaw will have played a big part in it.
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