Wynne Gray: Blackadder seems happy to make most of McCaw's six appeal

Richie McCaw. Photo / Getty Images

For the majority of his multi-decorated All Blacks career, Richie McCaw has played with the No7 on his jersey.

He has added to the conveyer belt of New Zealanders who brought distinction to those openside flanker duties and has lifted the standards a shade higher in his imperious 80 tests.

When the master breakaway has been injured, the selectors have experimented with a twin flanker system, although that scheme has not gained much traction.

A fit McCaw has reclaimed his regular livery where his standards are as high as they were when he first stepped out in international action against Ireland in 2001.

Tomorrow, though, he will wear the No6 jersey for the Crusaders. He did that to accommodate George Whitelock on the openside for a few weeks and will continue that plan to give Jonathan Poff a run.

It may be a simple case of coach Todd Blackadder getting the best production from his Super 14 loose forwards while others rest or recuperate from injury.

Or it could be a serious experiment on how best to use players under the revised tackled ball law, where specialist opensiders are not as potent as last year.

The tackle-and-turn-the-ball over technique has been modified so the second man to the breakdown has more chance to pilfer possession.

Referees, players, coaches and spectators are still working their way through the new interpretation and what it all means.

At the start, it seemed the team in possession also carried a huge advantage. Now there seems to be more balance in the rulings and a greater contest for the ball at the tackle.

Operating a twin-openside scheme with a scavenger on either side of the park instead of a solitary ball-chaser in such a high-paced game should be a huge interest for the All Blacks selectors. It would be staggering if they have not had their video production staff training their lens specifically on that component in the last few Crusader matches.

North of the equator Six Nations sides are supposed to be playing under the same laws but there are obvious difficulties.

Referees are having a devil of a job as flopathons and breakdown siestas seem way too prevalent and ingrained for many forwards.

If that pattern continues the All Blacks and New Zealand Maori should start with a clear advantage when they begin their June programmes against teams from the north.