McCaw ready to face Waugh

Richie McCaw

All Blacks rugby captain Richie McCaw is relishing the opportunity to engage in a breakdown battle with Phil Waugh -- though he feels for missing Wallabies combatant George Smith.

The dreadlocked Brumbies openside has been benched for the Bledisloe Cup finale at Eden Park on Saturday, a move that blindsided McCaw despite him being instrumental is hastening Smith's demise with a commanding performance in Brisbane last month.

"I'm a little surprised," McCaw said, when asked of coach John Connolly's back-row tinkering.

"I rate George Smith highly ... it's still a challenge when I play against him."

New Zealand retained the trans-Tasman silverware with a torrid 13-9 victory -- a win based on McCaw's superb allround performance.

Smith was well shaded at Suncorp Stadium, leaving Waratahs forager Waugh to pick up the pieces this weekend in a strategy to sabotage McCaw at the breakdown.

However, McCaw did not believe the change was made to specifically negate his game because both Australians were cut from the same cloth.

"I personally don't think that's the reason. Certainly Phil will be a handful at breakdown time, although I always find George Smith the same.

"They both have a lot of skills with ball in hand, but from our point of view it doesn't change a whole lot."

McCaw was also relaxed about suggestions from former Wallabies openside Chris Roche that the best way of limiting his effectiveness was to trap him under a pile of bodies at the breakdown.

"The Wallabies have to try and bury him. If you are playing against a good backrower, you have to bury him under the rucks and mauls," Roche said.

"At the end of the day you want Richie McCaw on the ground and the ball gone."

McCaw, however, said that approach was par for the course.

"When you play a good No 7 there are always times when you've got to keep an eye on them.

"Keeping them at the bottom of the ruck is a way of doing it, I guess, but you don't totally eliminate them."

The Wallabies arrived in Auckland last night and promptly suggested McCaw would not be singled out for special treatment.

"We're not going to concentrate too much on one player," captain George Gregan said.

"(Jerry) Collins and (Rodney) So'oialo have been in great form too," Gregan said of the remainder of the All Blacks loose trio.

"They're equally dangerous."

Meanwhile, All Blacks second five-eighth Aaron Mauger is the home side's only injury concern after he tweaked his groin during training yesterday.

Mauger, who will be partially responsible for nursing three-test centre Isaia Toeava through his Tri-Nations initiation, sat out the remainder of the session as a precaution and was confident he would be available to play.

The All Blacks have a closed training session at Eden Park today before the traditional low-key captain's run tomorrow.

- NZPA