NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Rugby / Rugby World Cup

McCaw's desire sets him apart - Mauger

Daily Mail
29 Oct, 2015 02:50 AM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Aaron Mauger has first-hand knowledge of what makes Richie McCaw great. Photo / Getty

Aaron Mauger has first-hand knowledge of what makes Richie McCaw great. Photo / Getty

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Aaron Mauger was there when it all began for All Blacks icon Richie McCaw.

They made their debuts together for the All Blacks against Ireland at Lansdowne Road in November, 2001.

On Sunday morning (NZT), when New Zealand's decorated captain is making one last stand in the World Cup final, his former teammate and coach will be finalising preparations in Leicester for the visit of Wasps the next day.

The Tigers' new head coach in the English club competition will watch his compatriots take on Australia at Twickenham with a clear grasp of what the retiring veterans in Steve Hansen's champion side will bring to the showpiece occasion.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He was born a month before McCaw in 1980 and wore the same colours with distinction, those of the Crusaders and New Zealand, until selection whims and injuries prematurely halted his on-field career, following a playing stint at Leicester. Mauger went home and established his coaching credentials in Christchurch, giving him a further insight into what makes McCaw keep ticking, as an enduring colossus of the sport.

'It was evident early on that he was going to be a star for a long time,' Mauger said yesterday, while reflecting on their shared introduction to the international arena 14 years ago.

As McCaw prepares for his record-breaking 148th and final Test, Mauger added: 'The thing that sets Richie apart is his mindset. He's got such a competitive mindset.

'His desire to be the best is so great. People have to make choices in their life and their career. I don't think Richie has ever made a choice that is detrimental, because he's always been motivated to be the best. That is what sums him up.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

'When it comes to the physical side of things, you've just got to watch the guy go through a conditioning session. He hits every mark. In fact, he probably runs through every mark by two or three metres, just to make sure. He's not a guy who has ever taken a short cut.'

What has marked McCaw out from other leading players in the modern era is his knack for adapting to the game's shifting landscape, to keep himself one step ahead of his rivals. He will go down as arguably the greatest player ever - and a three-time winner of the world Player of the Year award - on the basis of continually reinventing himself.

'The first thing with Richie is that he is very aware from all of his experiences, so he is much more clinical now with what he does,' said Mauger. 'He makes good decisions around breakdowns and his running lines. In those ways, you get better with age. You have to adapt when your body starts to slow down a bit.

'Richie is no spring chicken, so he has had to make adjustments. But his commitment and the energy he has put into making those adjustments has helped him stay at the top.

Discover more

Rugby World Cup

'Dirty war' against ABs intensifies

28 Oct 08:46 PM
Rugby World Cup

Brit firm supplies RWC pies to ABs

28 Oct 06:44 PM
Rugby World Cup

Five reasons why the NZ-Australia rivalry runs so deep

28 Oct 11:05 PM
Rugby World Cup

New logo's 'Japanese flavour'

29 Oct 01:18 AM

'I think the biggest factor in the last few years has been his leadership - his ability to guide his team through some tricky situations. He is committed to being the guy other people can turn to when the team are under pressure.'

Asked if the looming breakdown threat posed by the Wallabies' own poacher supreme, David Pocock, is the sort of confrontation likely to inspire McCaw, Mauger added: 'I think so. They won't just look at one player but there will be a focus on Pocock as part of their strategy at the breakdown, to make sure the All Blacks can get some clean, quick ball.'

It is not just McCaw who he knows so well - Mauger is also very familiar with the other retiring All Black icon, Dan Carter. Having lined up outside the peerless fly-half on many occasions, Mauger said: 'Dan is the consummate professional. He's been trying to manage his body because he is what they call an ageing athlete, I suppose.

'There is probably a little bit (of extra motivation) in there for Dan. He had to walk off injured during that quarter-final against France in 2007 and he didn't have an opportunity to play in the big games in 2011 (after another injury). In 2003 he was new to the squad so he didn't get a lot of action after the pool stage.

'When it comes to the pinnacle of world rugby, this is probably the only thing he hasn't experienced, and it looks like he is hungry. His last couple of performances have been world-class.'

The long-standing midfield pair, Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith, will both play their last Tests on Saturday, before taking up contracts in France. As a former centre, Mauger is a huge admirer of their alliance.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

'They've been the best midfield partnership in the world by a long shot,' he said. 'It is everything you want. Nonu is a real threat at the line. Smith is one of the smartest rugby players who is playing the game today and is the glue in that back line.'

The removal of so much experience from the Kiwi ranks will leave a gaping hole, but Mauger is confident that it will be filled. 'We are lucky in New Zealand because every kid wants to play rugby, they are well coached and the development structure is strong,' he said. 'There is always going to be talent coming through.'

-Daily Mail

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rugby World Cup

New Zealand

Watch Live : Scott Robertson live with Jason Pine

New Zealand

'Never felt so alone': Foster lifts lid on battles with NZ Rugby bosses

17 Jun 05:00 PM
Premium
Black Ferns

Woodman-Wickliffe on babies, books, broadcasting and King’s Birthday honour

02 Jun 03:00 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rugby World Cup

Watch Live : Scott Robertson live with Jason Pine

Watch Live : Scott Robertson live with Jason Pine

Scott Robertson joins Jason Pine in the Newstalk ZB studio to talk all the big Rugby issues.

'Never felt so alone':  Foster lifts lid on battles with NZ Rugby bosses

'Never felt so alone': Foster lifts lid on battles with NZ Rugby bosses

17 Jun 05:00 PM
Premium
Woodman-Wickliffe on babies, books, broadcasting and King’s Birthday honour

Woodman-Wickliffe on babies, books, broadcasting and King’s Birthday honour

02 Jun 03:00 AM
‘Major failures’: French oversight costs Rugby World Cup $57m

‘Major failures’: French oversight costs Rugby World Cup $57m

08 Apr 06:15 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP