KEY POINTS:
Man of the match in his All Black debut seven years ago at Lansdowne Rd. Not a lot has changed since in the rugby life of Richard Hugh McCaw.
He was a 20-year-old rookie then, weighing in under the 100kg mark with precious little top-level experience. But new coaches John Mitchell and Robbie Deans backed the tyro flanker rather than former skipper Taine Randell in the squad they picked for the start of their coaching partnership in test rugby.
Weeks later they went even further when they chose McCaw ahead of the more experienced Marty Holah and the black-jerseyed No 7 went on a relentless hunt and pursue mission in the eventual 40-29 victory.
At one stage the All Blacks trailed 21-7 in the second half before blasting away to victory as the Irish passion wavered and their intensity dropped.
Before kick-off, McCaw admitted he was "shitting myself really" and then there was even greater anxiety as he allowed himself to think how long his career would last if the All Blacks had lost that afternoon.
McCaw and Aaron Mauger made their debuts that day in a side where only Jonah Lomu, Andrew Mehrtens, Tana Umaga, Norm Maxwell and Anton Oliver had played more than 20 tests.
Tomorrow, Jimmy Cowan and Jerome Kaino will be the only All Blacks who have played fewer than that number while McCaw will lead the side out on to Croke Park in his 68th test as Lansdowne Rd continues to be rebuilt.
"This team is pretty settled in terms of senior players," McCaw agreed. "We have over 600 test caps which is a fair few. We may have lost some players since last year but we still have a core of experience there."
Since his first trip out against Ireland, McCaw has played them a further six times without defeat. There have been some hefty winning margins but McCaw warned about the sledgehammer work which usually came from the Irish pack, the sort of onslaught which had to be repelled for the All Blacks to continue with their tilt at a repeat Grand Slam.
McCaw noted he had become a far more streetwise footballer since that whizzbang debut in 2001.
"Mentally it was all about being excited and wanting to go out and play back then. I didn't really understand why I was going to play good or not so good.
"I think you learn over time how to be a bit more consistent with what you need to do leading up to a test match, or any game you play to make sure you do perform."
Little has changed for the All Black captain about test rugby. Strong preparation mixed with adrenaline was the basic recipe, while more time in the international arena allowed experienced players that extra cunning.
Midyear in atrocious conditions in Wellington, McCaw gave another masterclass in his skills as the All Blacks held out Ireland 21-11. It was a night when McCaw lifted his game even another notch to set the standards for a new All Black season.
When he sat out three tests because of an ankle injury, the All Blacks lost twice. Coincidence? Absolutely. Back came McCaw and the winning streak has resumed. There have been several tough, grinding victories against the Wallabies in Brisbane and Hong Kong as the side's hang-tough mentality expands. Those sort of experiences, said McCaw, were invaluable though not necessarily desirable.
His Irish openside rival from 2001, Alan Quinlan, has been recalled to the Irish side in the blindside role this time, though his collection of 26 test caps indicates his injury list, erratic consistency and inability to impress the panel regularly. A comeback at 34 though, is a fair effort, as new coach Declan Kidney moulds his side.
The All Blacks have been in mixed form on this trip too but McCaw feels there were signs of improvement this week training in Dublin. The last half in Hong Kong and the side's defence at Murrayfield were healthy patches the side wanted to build on against Ireland.
This test was the next challenge for the All Blacks, it was not a time to reflect on what had gone before or the pressure of history, it was about playing to the standards this team had set.
"If you start thinking you don't want to be the first to lose or any of those sort of things, it is never going to help you," McCaw warned.
