RICHIE McCaw or Sam Cane? That is the question.
There's no doubt they are both class acts, but it is time to start thinking longer term. McCaw has 119 caps under his belt, which surely has got to take its toll on a professional rugby player's body, and the New Zealand Rugby Union keeps talking about "managing" players like McCaw through to the next Rugby World Cup. Come 2015, McCaw will be nearing 150 caps - and aged 34 - and you cannot tell me that there is not a Kiwi flanker out there who is better than him. Cane should have been given the starting slot in tomorrow morning's Rugby Championship deciding match against South Africa - if not as reward for his form, then as a dummy run for what is likely to be the case come 2015. Cane starting, and McCaw coming on for his leadership and grit late in the big matches.
If the NZRU are talking about "managing" players like McCaw, why throw a veteran straight back into what will be a physical encounter with the Springboks? There is no reason why Cane could not start to take the steam out of the barging Boks' forwards and then have McCaw come on to make the turnovers when needed.
There is no doubting how good McCaw is, he has ticked off most marks in his illustrious test rugby career. Most All Blacks tests, most successful international captain, first All Black to a century of test caps, first forward to 100 test points; and the list is still building.
There is also no doubting that McCaw possesses more potent turnover ability than Cane, maybe that is why he has been rushed back in? However, most forwards these days - and backs like Rene Ranger - have the ability to snare turnovers, which reduces the necessity to have such a genuine turnover machine like McCaw.
