Up for grabs: The Real McCaw
The All Blacks' most capped player of all time has finally released his memoirs...and we want to give you a copy!
With 100 Test victories under his belt and having played over 60 Tests as captain, Richie McCaw has a story or two to tell.
When the All Blacks beat France in last year's World Cup Final, he crowned a ten-year career that started with a man-of-the-match performance against Ireland in 2001.
Quite possibly the greatest player of his generation, many would even argue that he is arguably the most talented rugby player of all time.
In his autobiography, McCaw recounts for the first time, with brutal honesty, the roots of his family life that defined his character - learning to play the game on the family farm in South New Zealand and being inspired to fly gliders by his war-hero grandfather - and how it gave him the strength to emerge from the lowest moment in his career to become the most successful captain world rugby has ever seen.
Unafraid of playing the game right at the edge and putting his body on the line. McCaw's story is not just a brutal account of life on the front line, but an exhilarating portrait of modern rugby.
So how do you win one the five copies we have up for grabs? It's simple! Send the answer to the question below to competitions.planetrugby@teamtalkmedia.com. Don't forget to include a postal address so we can send you your prize.
+ Name the two All Blacks featured in Planet Rugby's 20 to watch: November Tests gallery
Entries close at 12-noon GMT on Monday November 12.
Good luck!
Title: The Real McCaw: The Autobiography by Richie McCaw
Published: November 2012, by Aurum Press
ISBN: 9781781310335
RRP: £20.00
Comments
philipjfry says...
7ton: 'But does the ref really not notice them or is he trying to be not too pedantic and keep the game flowing.' I must admit I don't think it's as simple as that.
The big question is: does he get favorable treatment from referees? If the AB penalty count stays the same during his sabbatical we can debate it further.
Posted 11:34 12th November 2012
7ton says...
Phillipfry
Yes indeed refs are only human and of course McCaw being no.7 put's him in that particular grey and difficult zone to control.
Because he and NZ are usually on the winning side they come under far more scrutiny than others. The media and fans are far more likely to pick up on alleged indiscretions (sometimes wrongly, sometimes rightly) by the winning team than the losing one.
Look at many games today and we could pick out many potential penalty offences at the breakdown/ruck which go unnoticed. But does the ref really not notice them or is he trying to be not too pedantic and keep the game flowing.
Posted 10:15 11th November 2012
Hellovanite says...
Michael Jones broke the mould for what an open-side flanker should be and raised the bar to another level. M.Jones was a natural runner of the ball and where as Richie is more a tactician of the game. Michael Jones was pure xfactor rugby, Ritchie has to work harder but it makes him the the better for it.
Posted 09:35 11th November 2012
nzmaoriboy says...
I rate Richie on a par with Michael Jones..There will be debates on whom the True forward loose greats of rugby are...but I doubt it would be decided by a couple lonesome Bloggers whom eat from the same popcorn box..(bottomless maybe??)..joke joke. Every country will have their greats and it's a give me you will all have your favorites & that's as it should be. Calder,Beatie,Hill,Smith,Du preez,Poidavon,Rives.I don't think our votes mean a thing..all the matters is what their peers think of them..You know other legends of the game? say John eels,martin Johnson,Piener,Dawson,Brooke,Blanco & a few other fellows that might know a little about rugby! he he.R Mccaw IRB player of the year x 3? the mother of all conspiracies...Not only did he cheat the refs & all other rugby nations he also cheated their legends! he he he.But of course keep chewing the cud! I probably just gave you another angle for your fantastical beliefs! cool
Posted 06:42 11th November 2012
philipjfry says...
@7ton: Ref is still human right? Humans make mistakes. And considering McCaw's played 100 odd tests that's a lot of potential human error. But I wouldn't take anything away form the guy. he's been fantastic.
Posted 01:59 11th November 2012
kennyisgay says...
philipjfry... why... d'you want me to be you sicko.
Posted 00:11 11th November 2012
7ton says...
philipfry
If it is as you claim that McCaw could have been easily penalised so many times then I would be interested in your thoughts as to why he wasn't as surely it would have been so easy for the ref to do so.
Posted 21:12 10th November 2012
7ton says...
Sincero
Why did you sign your post "Pile of Shite" Is it your name?
Posted 20:39 10th November 2012
7ton says...
Carpelone
Typos?
Yes they are posting on here. As jmanngod says "the haters and insanely jealous"
Hope you enjoy the weekend too by the way. Plenty of rugby for us to enjoy.
Posted 13:48 10th November 2012
Carpelone says...
More typos.
Putting his body BEYonD the line
Unafraid of BEING PENALISED
Posted 08:29 10th November 2012
philipjfry says...
Sincero makes a very valid point: Is McCaw really the 'greatest player' of his generation or is his reputation built on circumstances and close shaves? Considering the amount of times he could easily have been penalized for slowing down the ball at ruck time or lying on the wrong side but critically, wasn't, would it be fair to say that the 'greatest' tag is even more subjective because of his achievements? Food for thought.
@kennyisgay: I'm hoping for your sake that you are a prepubescent teenager in the closet and not an adult.
Posted 22:05 09th November 2012
Toulousain says...
still funny kennyisgay! mixed in with a hint of banter, a soupcon of charm, a dash of derring-do.... you are quite the rounded individual i sense....
Posted 16:34 09th November 2012
kennyisgay says...
Touloser... I guess no one will read them books in the guest wc then seeing no one ever wants to visit you. I'm guessing the ensuite's full with George Michael books and magz huh? You and Sincero should hook up you seem to have a lot in common, bitter twisted individuals you are
Posted 14:14 09th November 2012
Toulousain says...
sincero, no love lost there hehehe..... i agree though, he's good, yes, but he's no better necessarily than fergus slattery was..... or if you want to go back a long long way, jean prat.
j-p rives still my all-time favourite (but it's a home town choice i'm afraid!)
Posted 13:01 09th November 2012
GoWalesGo says...
All rugby autobiographies are emergency toilet paper as far as i'm concerned.
Posted 11:26 09th November 2012
Sincero says...
'Unafraid of playing the game right at the edge and putting his body on the line.'
A couple of typos there: should read perhaps 'unafraid and unpenalised for playing the game right over the edge of offside' and 'putting his body over the line and laying it horizontally over the ball after having come in from the side'.
The greatest player of his generation? Haaaaaa! But no- he's just a couple of happy coincidences... he came into the game just at the right time when the rules prevented players keeping the game honest by shoeing the crap out of someone like Ruchie, and also at a time when New Zealand began to decide on the career paths of referees. Ref won't blow, you can't shoe.... options remaining are all red-card, and Ruchie is off to draw another picture on his jumbo kidz' crayon pad so his ghost writer can immortalise his genius.
Pile. Of. Shite.
Posted 11:03 09th November 2012
Sincero says...
Just got through the last chapter... let me give you a précis:
Part 1) Ruchie- the early years (1980-2001)
Part 2) Ruchie- the cheating years (2001-present)
Part 3) Ruchie- the mysteriously getting away with it in front of the referee years, hmm (2001-present)
Ruchie's high point) when Paddy O'Brien fixed that classic World Cup Final in 2011, and Ruychie finally got to cheat his way to the cup
Ruchie's low point) when a bloke in the crowd shouted out 'hey Ruchie, stop bloody cheating!'- after ten full minutes of introspection during that half-time break wondering if he'd ever cheat again, Ruchie emerged from the sheds and got back to cheating.
Posted 10:51 09th November 2012
Toulousain says...
my copy will go in the guest wc next to kylie minogue's and kennyisgay's... if he ever gets round to writing one....
i'm afraid my bookshelf is already taken with jean-pierre rives' tome (and my photo album is already full with pictures of eden park on bastille day 1979.....)
Posted 10:03 09th November 2012
kennyisgay says...
Treasure it ladies for you're nations will never ever produce as player of such calibre.
Posted 07:25 09th November 2012
brownie says...
a
Posted 06:47 09th November 2012