McCaw to bring up 100th as skipper

Richie McCaw will bring up his 100th test as All Blacks skipper on Sunday. Photo / Getty Images

Richie McCaw will captain the All Blacks for the 100th time on Sunday after being named at his usual number seven jersey in the starting lineup to face Wales in Cardiff.

McCaw first led the All Blacks also at Millennium Stadium in 2004, a close 26-25 win over the home side.

He took over from Tana Umaga as the regular skipper two years later and will play his 137th test match for the All Blacks on Sunday.

Irish centre Brian O'Driscoll (84 tests) and Springboks hooker John Smith (83 tests), both retired, are the only other players to crack 80 matches as captain.

McCaw, 33, said looking back on his first test as captain, he didn't really know what he was doing.

"I had no idea what I was doing back then. When I started I felt like I needed to have all the answers, to know it all myself, always be the guy talking. But as time goes on you become more comfortable if someone else has the answer and you go with that. You get satisfaction seeing other guys make the right calls."

He added: "At the time I'd only had half a dozen games as captain of Canterbury and I thought 'that's enough, it can't be that much harder', but you look back on the lessons you've been through, the ups and downs, and ... you wonder how you survived."

McCaw as led the All Blacks to 87 wins in 99 tests with just 10 defeats and two draws.