A few years ago Richard McCaw cheered on the Otago team, but at the weekend he was a star in one of Otago's most humiliating defeats.
McCaw scored a hat-trick of tries in 32 minutes as Canterbury annihilated Otago at Carisbrook.
The New Zealand Colts flanker produced an intelligentdisplay in which his speed to the breakdown, his linking ability and his rugby nous earned him the man-of-the-match award.
McCaw spent five years at Otago Boys' High School, the last as head prefect.
"At school, I was always on the terrace watching these games and thinking how it would be pretty cool to be out there," he said.
McCaw, 20, escaped the Otago rugby net to attend Lincoln University, and Otago's loss has been Canterbury's gain.
"I just ended up in the right place at the right time," he said of his three tries.
"The backs carved up and the passes stuck. There seemed to be big gaps there. It was awesome playing behind that tight five."
McCaw said the Canterbury players had talked before the match about how they let themselves down in their loss to North Harbour in their previous game.
"We talked about attitude; that was what we had to get right."
McCaw said Canterbury were determined not to lose their structure and be sucked into "sevens" rugby after their electrifying first half.
