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Former All Blacks coaching guru: The greatest player I ever coached
By Online Editors
Former All Blacks forwards coach Mike Cron has nominated Richie McCaw not only as the greatest player he's ever coached - but the greatest of all time.
Cron, who was part of the All Blacks coaching team from 2004 to 2019, said that McCaw didn't play a bad game in his world record 148 tests for the All Blacks.
"He never did anything stupidly wrong and always presented himself exceptionally well off the field. And to play through pain. He was also extremely intelligent," Cron told Stuff.
"There is one who you would say 'well, if you could photostat him it would be pretty good'," said Cron, labelling McCaw as the "greatest of all time, really''.
Cron also told Stuff that he never saw McCaw lose his temper on the field if things weren't going to plan.
"No, no, no,'' Cron says. "Never. He just maintained those country values didn't he?''
Cron's belief is backed up by his former coaching partner Steve Hansen, who labelled McCaw as "the best rugby player the world has ever seen".
From 2004-11 Cron worked exclusively on the scrum with the All Blacks but, in his final eight years with the team, he savoured the added responsibility of overseeing the breakdown, kick-offs and lineouts.
He told the Herald last year that his favourite test was the remarkable comeback victory in Soweto in 2010, when the All Blacks scored two tries in the final three minutes – Israel Dagg raising his arm on the way to the match-winner after receiving the pass from Ma'a Nonu wearing one boot.
That day, in one of many great escapes, the All Blacks spoiled John Smit's 100th test in front of 94,000.
"Everyone that went there got given these bloody bongos and the noise was unbelievable," Cron recalls.
After the game Andrew Hore wondered aloud whether those vuvuzelas could provide a vessel.
"I managed to find one and cleaned it up. Sure enough you could pull it apart and have a drink out of it. They're all good memories.
"Those are the games you remember. The never say die attitude and whatever happens, happens. Sometimes you get out of jail, and sometimes you don't."
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Latest Comments
There is this thing going around against Siya Kolisi where they don't want him to be known as the best national captain ever, so they strike him down in ratings permanently whenever they can. They want McCaw and reckons he is the best captain ever. I disagree.
Just like they refuse to see SA as the best team and some have even said that should the Boks win a third WC in a row, they will still not be the best team ever. Even if they win every game between now and the WC. That is some serious hate coming SA's way.
Everyone forget how the McCaw AB's intimidated refs, was always on the wrong side, played on the ground etc. Things they would never have gotten away with today. They may have a better win ratio, but SA build depth, not caring about rank inbetween WC's until this year.
They weren't as bad inbetween as people claim, because non e of their losses was big ones and they almost never faced the strongest Bok team outside of the WC, allowing countries like France and Ireland to rise to the top unopposed.
Rassie is still at it, building more depth, getting more young stars into the fold. By the time he leaves (I hope never) he will leave a very strong Bok side for the next 15- 20 years. Not everyone will play for 20 years, but each year Rassie acknowledge the young stars and get them involved and ready for international rugby.
Not everyone will make it to the WC, but those 51/52 players will compete for those spots for the WC. They will deliver their best. The future of the Boks is in very safe hands. The only thing that bothers me is Rassie's health. If he can overcome it, rugby looks dark for the rest of the rugby world. He is already the greatest coach in WR history. By the time he retires, he will be the biggest legend any sport has ever seen
Go to commentsWas it? I just brought it up in some of my posts to rub it in that the AB last year nearly put 100 on a top 6N side lol
I agree to be honest. The biggest key to me that they might be jadded was none of them had mom performances, or even as good as their last three games.
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