McCaw, Carter : careers over?

The international careers of Daniel Carter and Richard McCaw are over, effectively.

Having spent much of the last two years out with injuries or being "rested" or on "sabatical", both have returned to full time work, failed to impress and gone down injured again.

McCaw missed two tackles in two minutes as the crusaders were beaten by Auckland, both costing tries and frankly carter hasn't been world class since his groin injury back in 2011.

Time for a dose of reality. Let these two great super stars of the game go and move on with the future.

Mourad from Toulon approves this post   

GloriousEmpire wrote:The international careers of Daniel Carter and Richard McCaw are over, effectively.

Having spent much of the last two years out with injuries or being "rested" or on "sabatical", both have returned to full time work, failed to impress and gone down injured again.

McCaw missed two tackles in two minutes as the crusaders were beaten by Auckland, both costing tries and frankly carter hasn't been world class since his groin injury back in 2011.

Time for a dose of reality. Let these two great super stars of the game go and move on with the future.

I was wondering if they would of made the 2015 RWC.

LOL. Carter did happen to win the World Player Of The Year award in 2012.

I know these things are subjective, but you have to have been playing half decent rugby to get nominated, let alone win it.

McCaw should have gone off as soon as he knew his thumb was kaput. He tried to make those two tackles with it apparently and look what happened. Mind you most Kiwis wouldn't have really canned his lack of judgment on that, considering his track record of playing with broken bones.

I reckon we need them in 2015. Not necessarily as first choice however. Hansen has to elevate Read when McCaw isn't the first pick. They're not really declining either, rather the understudies are now world class. Cruden, Barrett and Cane are all proven under pressure. Cruden in two World Cup knockout games no less, and the other two having blinders against their closest rivals last year.

It's not a bad situation to be in. Particularly if you look at the psychology of the opposition when a replacement comes on in a knockout match that has a case for being the greatest of all time in his position.

I still rate both highly but there does come a time to say goodbye to legends of the game. I wonder if McCaw will make a straight transition into the national setup, seems like one hell of a motivator.

I envisage Cane getting more game time and McCaw covering the backrow or McCaw starting against the likes of SA and coming off at half time. Carter will have time to mend his ankle problems and I hope Cruden and Barrett take a more prominent role. It's not time for both to leave but it is time for the understudies to get more consistent game time.

Cant see either of them retiring any time soon. Just because they arent at their peak why should they retire? Why not do something that you love doing for as long as there is a contract out there somewhere for you?

Mike Catt and Brad Thorne played world cup finals aged 36. The oldest player ever to play at a world cup was 40.

McCaw is only 33 and Carter 32. They could still head to Japan or France and make a few bucks at the very least.

NZ fans love to retire their former heroes and from what i have seen of discussions of players on this site, they treat them very poorly.

Everything is for the team and their success. No one player is bigger than the team and personal records don't have any relevance when put in the context of team records.

I hope McCaw and Carter make the 2015 RWC and I think they can. Not as passengers but as players who are there to make contributions to the team. If fully fit, they can still very much to do that. But no player has the right to make that tournament if they're not up to the task. Muliaina made way for Dagg in the last tournament and it was the right decision. That doesn't detract from Mils' illustrious career. He was one of NZ's best players in 2010. 2011 that spark on attack was Dagg.

These two gentlemen are very special people, and no one knows better than these two, the responsibilities and standards required of being an All Black let alone an All Black captain.

Of course they could they could make an invaluable contribution to the team/the squad in 2015, but the role also requires them to perform on the field better than any other New Zealand player in that position, probably better than any other player(s) in their positions in the World.

McCaw when well is probably still the best 7 we have but who knows how long for. I suspect Cruden has surpassed Carter now. For every hero you hold onto there is a young player waiting for his opportunity.

I've got this lovely book of rugby quotes which I can't find right now. In it is a quote from some legend in the 60s (i think) who says something like "The boy is better than me" after not being selected after the trials.
I think that is the good sh*t.
Its not about who you are or how old you are its about who is right for the team.

Yes thats right Nga, and I would far rather have it that way than have players selected on reputation.

Anyone hear the iceman interview on radiosport yesterday? When asked about comparisons with McCaw, he reckoned his 'job description' was different and he'd probably play 2nd five today. Think I heard that right.

http://www.radiosport.co.nz/player/ondemand/30678185-legend-s-hour--michael-jones

I really do belive the AB's have peaked which makes the WC a more open affair. I suspect Hansen will keep them around the squad if at all possible, especially RM, however the fact that nobody has won consecutive WC's tells you all there is to know about how difficult it is to transition great teams. NZ have certainly made the best attempt to do it so far, we (England) the worst.

Will either player feature significantly in June? I doubt it which makes the 3 tests interesting in the sense that really both sides are progressively in transition.

I think NZ are in a transition phase. We've come to terms with losing McCaw and carter but now have to face the loss of impact of guys like Dagg, nonu, Jane. The reintroduction of SBW and Kaino and the emergence if new mega talents like "jet" Li

Don't think the ABs peak but rather are constantly evolving, as other have said. If you don't cut it, you're gone. We can't afford to humour Legends.

ebop wrote:Don't think the ABs peak but rather are constantly evolving, as other have said. If you don't cut it, you're gone. We can't afford to humour Legends.

Think it's wishful thinking that the AB's are peaking.

Still, those two are talismans and however good the replacements they won't be legends by 2015. Quite possibly after the WC though!