November 16, 2001: McCaw wins his big reward

New All Black Richie McCaw during an All Blacks training session in 2001. Photo /Getty

An 'outstanding' flanker reaps the benefit of his NPC form as John Mitchell goes for specialists in the test side to play Ireland.

The elevation of new All Black test flanker Richard McCaw came as no great shock, and his inexperience was never an issue for coach John Mitchell.

Once McCaw made the touring squad and sat out the opening game, only a training ground injury would have stopped his test debut against Ireland on

Sunday, about six weeks short of his 21st birthday.

It was nothing like the selection jolt the last time the All Blacks came to Lansdowne Rd, when Josh Kronfeld was dumped and Andrew Blowers given his first test start.

"From day one,'' Mitchell explained, "I was looking for specialists.

"The game is controlled by defences now, and so much of the play is defined in the contact areas that we need professional stealers.

"Richard has been rewarded for his special NPC form.''

Mitchell said he first noticed McCaw during the New Zealand Colts games when they won the international tournament in Sydney.

"He is an outstanding and special player, unique in his accuracy, positioning and linking.

"He also has a fair size about him, good composure and he will do well,'' he said.

While Mitchell is strong on the traditions of the All Black jersey and getting the basics right, he is far from conservative in his selections and player assessments.

"The dynamics of a professional rugby player have changed and are changing so quickly. Things evolve monthly,'' he said.

"No longer can we use a wait-and-see policy. It is not about longevity in the game, it is all about now.''

McCaw's competition came from Marty Holah, another who hunts the tackle well but does not have quite the finesse, athleticism and attacking skills McCaw possesses.

Mitchell's first test selection leaves Andrew Mehrtens and Jonah Lomu as the most capped players with 52 games each.

Skipper Anton Oliver and Tana Umaga are into the mid-30s and Norm Maxwell has 27 caps. No one else has reached 20 internationals.

The absence through injury or non-selection of Jeff Wilson, Christian Cullen, Justin Marshall, Taine Randell and Carl Hoeft has denuded the team of players with a combined tally of almost 250 caps.

The other new cap, Aaron Mauger, preceded McCaw as the NZ Colts captain last year and would have led the side again this season but for injury. He turns 21 in a fortnight.

Backline coach Robbie Deans believes Mauger's distribution skills may better unlock the All Blacks' strengths out wide, and largely on that basis he has won his place ahead of the enterprising, and preferred, second five-eighths in all this year's other tests, Pita Alatini.

Mauger also filled in for Mehrtens at first five-eighths when he was hurt this year in Super 12 and can be used as a first receiver to deflect some of the attention from Mehrtens.