KEY POINTS:
A Michael Jones-style shift to the blindside is on the cards for Richie McCaw this season.
Switching McCaw, who will remain captain of the All Blacks, has been discussed before but is now gathering momentum due to the changed rules and belief that wearing No 6 might help the skipper talk to referees.
As an openside, McCaw is frequently pinged at the breakdown while the demands of his position also make it tough for him to assess what is going on across the pitch.
"That has been discussed from time to time," All Black coach Graham Henry said when asked if McCaw could swap sides.
"It depends on the balance [of the backrow] and who else is playing well. That's a possibility but let's not put that in concrete."
The other driving factor is that McCaw's skill-set is changing as he gets older in much the same way as Jones's did.
Where once his game was built exclusively on his scavenging on linking, now McCaw is a much improved runner and jumper.
"Certainly Richie is an improved ball-carrier, has very good skill at lineout time and it's hard to use that skill when you're a No 7," said Henry.
For McCaw to make the switch, much will depend on how the introduction of the new laws pans out. No one is sure how the breakdown will be affected.
Henry is also sure that the old adage about games being won in the tight five will stay true and that the All Blacks face big challenges finding replacements for the likes of Carl Hayman, Chris Jack and Anton Oliver, who are all now playing in Europe.
