Rugby World Cup: McCaw to play through pain of foot injury

Richie McCaw missed the Canada clash to concentrate on the quarter-final against the Pumas on Sunday. Photo / Brett Phibbs

The good news is Richie McCaw's foot is okay for three more games.

The consequences longer term for the All Blacks captain are not as certain and there is talk of an operation scheduled for after the World Cup, but the issue is soreness rather than structural damage.

All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen today allayed fears that McCaw, whose leadership and playing ability stocks have soared even further since Dan Carter's tournament-ending injury, will miss any more games due to his foot as the team enters the knockout stages.

McCaw was a late scratching from the Canada pool game due to foot soreness and missed the Japan game with a calf injury. Fears rose further when it was noticed that McCaw has been training in running shoes, rather than boots, but Hansen said that wasn't significant.

"While we're still in the tournament he will be available but we still have to do what we've done with him all year, and what he's done with the Crusaders, and that's `manage' him,'' Hansen said.

"He has done plenty of training, but it's just the type of training [that is managed]. We don't get him involved in the cleanouts for example, the physical, hard, body-contact stuff but he does other training.''

McCaw had a screw inserted into the fifth metatarsal of his right foot following a stress fracture at the start of the year which meant he missed the first seven weeks of the Super Rugby season with the Crusaders. Further soreness meant his training load had to be lighter than usual throughout the season and he missed several other matches because of the pain. Some of it was in a different area of the foot due to a change in McCaw's "gait'' following the operation.

But the reality is he has been saved for the knockout matches of the World Cup starting with Argentina at Eden Park on Sunday, and the All Blacks medical staff and McCaw himself will ensure he will lead the team for the remainder of the tournament, provided he doesn't suffer a different injury.

The news was not so good today for wing Zac Guildford, whose late run for one of the wing positions has been halted by a hamstring injury suffered in training yesterday.

A scan revealed a small tear and Guildford, who scored four tries in his only game of the tournament against Canada, could be sidelined for the remaining All Blacks matches.

Loose forward Adam Thomson, who is carrying an ankle injury, trained with the team yesterday but is unlikely to be considered when the side is announced tomorrow morning.

Hansen said prop Tony Woodcock, who suffered a bad head knock against Canada, should be fit for selection and Richard Kahui's hamstring was also looking good.