Rugby: Royal treatment, then a well-earned rest for our rugby legend

Richie McCaw's body needs rest ... after a World Cup win.

The Super 15 rugby is just a week away. Here's Chris Rattue's wishlist for the 2015 season

Richie McCaw sticks to his guns, making this his last Super 15.
The Great Man has indicated this year's World Cup will be his swan song, and it should be. That body needs serious rest and no one wants to see him scratching about, living on memories. Here's the perfect 2015 farewell scenario for the legend - he wins everything. But if winning the Super 15 involves traipsing around half the globe during the finals, then no. Best to rest and avoid excess plane travel before the Big Event in Europe.

Richie McCaw gets the royal treatment around New Zealand.
There should be long applause when he runs on the field, wherever he goes. Let the man feel the love. Auckland and Christchurch have the chance to farewell McCaw at test matches, but not everyone can score a test ticket or afford one. Take any chance to see R. McCaw in the flesh one last time. This is history.

Ditto some of the above for Keven Mealamu.
There is only one Richie McCaw, but K. Mealamu must not be forgotten either. Like McCaw, a class act in every respect.

No more complicated theories from John Kirwan.
The great All Black wing is universally respected for his work with depression. But his image is buying Kirwan time he hasn't gone close to earning as Blues coach. He's made a fair few cock-ups including hiring Benji Marshall without knowing what to do with him. Time to produce, JK.

The champion Waratahs fire again.
World rugby, and New Zealand, needs a strong Australian game. Sydney is their richest market. Australian rugby is a flaky beast that relies heavily on international success.

Brodie Retallick has another fantastic year.
A lock became the IRB player of the year. Very weird. Retallick's rise wasn't rapid - it was supersonic, a tick to his big ticker and the Chiefs' scouting and coaching nous. Everybody loves Brodie, a hard-nosed lock yet from a different school to the one which produced "hard men" like Colin Meads, Frank Oliver, Danny Grewcock and Bakkies Botha. He's unlikely to win the world player of the year again ... but likely to go close.

Steve Hansen applies his droll observations to the Super 15.
He's New Zealand rugby's one big hope on that score.

A ridiculous, look-at-me refereeing decision doesn't decide the final ... as it did last season when the Crusaders were robbed.

Ma'a Nonu and Sonny Bill Williams go head to head
... in an all-out war to impress the selectors when the Hurricanes and Chiefs clash, without any he's-my-brother-respect-each-other garbage. Hey Ma'a, he's stealing your jersey.

Cory Jane finds top form.
Jane is such a clever player. Like South African Willie le Roux, he is a modern day rarity, a smallish outside back who thrives on the high-skill factor. A top-notch Cory Jane is a joy to watch, but he is at a crossroad.

Serious injuries are at a minimum...
for all countries, so it's all on for the World Cup. This excludes Dan Carter - we hope his inevitable major injury occurs early enough so as not to affect his automatic place in the World Cup squad. Dan Carter deserves the chance to hold up the World Cup. Got this horrible feeling fate is against him, though.

Wellington gets out the paint test pots ... ... to do the speckled false spectator look on the Westpac Stadium seating because that sea of yellow is a depressing look. The capital's stadium was once the hottest ticket in the land, but has gone horribly cold. Truth is the oblong arena never was ideal for rugby.

Lots of refereeing and rules debates.
Because we need more of them. Yeah right.

South African teams get their act together on the road.
Whatever happened to the big bad scary South African rugby player. Sharks excepted, the rest were timid on foreign soil again last year.

Kieran Read takes his game up a gear.
Imagine that.