All Blacks: McCaw reflects as record looms

Richie McCaw is ready to take on the Wallabies. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Only 14 times has Richie McCaw experienced defeat in his career and he can remember each and every one in quite extraordinary detail.

The All Blacks skipper, who will play at ANZ Stadium for the last time tomorrow night, was in the mood for reminiscing ahead of equalling the world record for test appearances.

He was happy to reveal it's a major goal of his and the other senior players who are leaving at the end of this year to ensure they sign off with the Bledisloe safely tucked away.

He remembered the 2003 and 2010 victories in Sydney as being two of the better All Blacks performances for different reasons and he also talked about how valuable it was for him to begin his career as part of an All Blacks side who didn't have possession of the Bledisloe.

"I would love nothing better than to keep the Bledisloe in the cupboard... absolutely," he said. "It has been like that every year. I still remember back to when we didn't have it and, put yourself in the Wallabies shoes, they will be desperate to get their hands on it.

"That's what makes a great occasion, is that it means so much for both teams for different reasons. A few of us realise what it was like to not have it and the Wallabies are in that situation at the moment. I never want to give it back. That's the motivator every time. If you do hang up the boots and we still have it, I'll be pretty happy."

What McCaw also realises is how quickly everything can change. One of his most vivid memories remains the extreme highs and lows he and the All Blacks experienced in 2003.

That was the year they thumped the Wallabies in Sydney and then followed it up with a tight, brave win at Eden Park that saw them take possession of the Bledisloe.

But just a few months later, back in Sydney, they lost to Australia in the semifinal of the World Cup.

"We had a pretty good win here in the first game [2003]. The second one is the one that sticks in my mind at Eden Park because it went down to the wire and there were moments in the game towards the end, critical lineouts that had let us down in the past, that caused us to effectively lose the year before. We had to get it right and we nailed it.

"Three months later we lost the semifinal of the World Cup here [in Sydney] to the same team. The memory I always have is how quickly things turn around in sport.

"The inevitable thing in sport is that you are not going to win absolutely every one. They annoy me [defeats] but sometimes your best learnings come from those matches. You reflect on them all and I can remember them all and there are always lessons there that help you down the track so you don't lose too many more."