The Stats Don't Lie: How much will McCaw be missed?

Richie McCaw is helped off the field after suffering a knee injury against Argentina. Photo / Getty Images

Opinion

Despite going off after 60 minutes of action Richie McCaw still led the All Blacks in key statistics. So much will the All Blacks miss him this weekend?

ALL BLACKS v ARGENTINA (28-13)
Dan Carter's opening penalty took him past 1400 test points, becoming the first player to reach this milestone. His only other successful penalty of the night took him to 250 test penalties. It wasn't a vintage night with the boot for Carter, landing just 50 percent of his kicks for goal.

How much will the All Blacks miss Richie McCaw for the next few tests? This week, despite playing just 60 minutes, he still topped the breakdown arrivals being in the first three 28 times, and was the top tackler for the All Blacks with 12 tackles, two assists and just one miss.

The locking duo of Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick were top contributors to the All Blacks' efforts, with Retallick two behind McCaw for breakdown arrivals with 27 while Whitelock was third with 24. Retallick was also second behind McCaw for tackles (11 plus one assist) and took three lineout throws plus a steal, while Whitelock made 24 metres from his five ball carries and took five throws plus a steal.

Charlie Faumuina was in the first three to breakdown 23 times in this test, and made four tackles plus one assist. He also made six carries for a gain of 23 metres, but conceded two scrum penalties.

Kieran Read has equalled Rodney So'oialo's record of 46 test starts in the Number 8 jersey, making him the second most capped starting Number 8 behind Zinzan Brooke (who had 51 starts). Read made six carries for a gain of 38 metres, nine tackles, and took two lineout throws this week.

The All Blacks only had to make 88 tackles plus 18 assists in this test match, and of those just eight tackles and two assists had to be made in their own 22. They missed a total of 10 tackles, with Andrew Hore and Beauden Barrett both missing two each.

Argentina had to make 128 tackles and missed 23 of them. Their top tackler was Pablo Matera with 19 tackles and four misses. Their worst tackler was their Number 8 Juan Manuel Leguizamon with seven tackles and five misses.

Both teams conceded 10 penalties, with hooker Eusebio Guinazu earning a yellow card for repeated breakdown infringements in Argentina's 22. Scrum penalties made up seven of the 20 penalties awarded, the All Blacks conceding a total of four while Argentina conceded three. Tacklers were the next most penalised with the All Blacks conceding two (both by McCaw) while Argentina conceded three.

Handling errors were high for the All Blacks this week, with 14 knock-ons, two passes going to the opposition, one spilled pass, one pas thrown into touch, and one forward pass. Aaron Smith, Julian Savea and Israel Dagg all made two knock-ons.

Contesting opposition lineout ball was again fruitful for the All Blacks, winning three steals plus forcing three errors from Argentina who ended up winning just 10 of their 16 lineouts. The All Blacks won 10 of their 12 throws, with one deemed not straight and the other missed by Retallick.