Rugby: Stats show Richie McCaw must lift his game

Richie McCaw will likely be playing his last Crusaders game in Christchurch. Photo / Getty Images

It’s way too soon to push panic button on All Black captain but spectre of 1991 looms.

Richie McCaw knows he's playing short of his peak - and the statistics support that assertion.

But it's extremely premature to push the panic button concerning the All Blacks captain's form.

McCaw has recently come under fire for his part in the Crusaders' inconsistent Super Rugby season, which suffered another setback in Friday's comprehensive defeat against the Chiefs.

Outplayed by Sam Cane in the eyes of many, McCaw has since been questioned if he can reach the top of his game in this most pivotal of years.

The last time the All Blacks attempted to defend the William Webb Ellis Cup, there was a perception that too many of the triumphant 1987 side had outstayed their welcome and were detrimental come the 1991 tournament.

It's far too early to suggest history may be repeating but anxious eyes have been cast towards the performances of many of the All Blacks' ageing squad. And nowhere is the scrutiny greater than with McCaw.

The 34-year-old is used to the doubters. It was similar last year, before he recaptured his world-beating best on an undefeated end-of-season tour. While he hoped to time his peak similarly this season, McCaw made no attempt to hide the fact his games to date have been deficient.

"I'm probably not playing to the standard, to my peak, and it's probably the same for a lot of us," McCaw told Newstalk ZB. "But when you're going backwards it's hard to have an impact and, in the last couple of weeks, I certainly haven't had the impact I would have liked."

That certainly appears true when assessing the flanker's statistical contribution to the Crusaders' mid-table position. Through his first eight games, McCaw is exhibiting decline in his athleticism, tackling efficiency and, perhaps of most concern, his ability to do what he does best.

The flanker has averaged just 0.6 turnovers won in the opening half of the Super Rugby season, well down on the 1.5 he managed in his first eight Crusaders games in 2014 and in four games on the All Blacks' trip north.

It's unlikely McCaw has completely lost the skill that sets him apart. Instead, a more reasonable hypothesis is that he is making his way to fewer rucks, or arriving later, which may in turn speak to a body feeling every one of the 17 seasons of professional rugby it has endured.

But there are extenuating circumstances. McCaw's eighth game of the previous campaign came in the Crusaders' semifinal victory over the Sharks, with thumb and rib injuries restricting both his early involvement and wear and tear on his body.

Which should provide reason for optimism. McCaw has been rested for only one week in Super Rugby's first three months. As a senior All Black, he's scheduled for a further two breaksand the Crusaders are hardly struggling for loose forward options, boasting in his ranks Kieran Read, Matt Todd and Jordan Taufua.

McCaw is a player who excels when the lights are the brightest, typically while wearing black.