All Blacks captain Richie McCaw picked Roy Keane's brain over lunch earlier in the week. Photo / Mark Mitchell
For a bloke who's never had a thing for the round ball code, All Blacks rugby captain Richie McCaw has mingled with an awful lot of soccer greats.
McCaw enjoyed lunch on Monday with former Ireland and Manchester United great Roy Keane, who is spending time with the
All Blacks in Wellington this week to further his soccer coaching career.
It follows McCaw's rendezvous with brilliant French midfielder Zinedine Zidane at Marseille during last year's World Cup and a promotional meeting with French captain Patrick Viera at Paris in 2006.
Ironically, when Viera played for Arsenal he was a high-profile sparring partner of Keane, the two regarded as the hard men of the English Premiership throughout the first half of this decade.
McCaw enjoyed the chance to talk with Keane, who is now the manager of Premiership club Sunderland.
"Obviously he's a superstar in football and it was a chance to ask a few questions," McCaw said.
"What happens at Manchester United? What he does as a manager now? It's pretty special to ask someone like that."
McCaw could relate to Keane's memories of his 12 years at English giants and how much he missed the Manchester United culture when he finished his career with Scottish club Celtic.
"Playing for Manchester United is a bit like playing for the All Blacks. There's a lot of pride that goes with it," McCaw said.
"He didn't realise until the last six months when he went to play for someone else - it just wasn't the same.
"Our guys find that. When they give up or move on, they really realise what it's all about, the great fun it is playing for the All Blacks."
Graham Henry was also enjoying Keane's presence in camp this week, describing the man renowned for his fiery on-pitch temper, as "bubbly".
"(But) I'm not quite sure if Roy's got a foot in both camps or not," Henry smiled.
- NZPA
Photos: All Blacks training session