News

McCaw: Rocky is a huge loss for Australia

July 31 2008

As New Zealand adjusted to the loss of full-back Leon MacDonald their captain, Richie McCaw, was quick to highlight the magnitude of Rocky Elsom's absence from the Australian team.

It was the second Test in succession that New Zealand have been forced into late changes, this time MacDonald the unlucky party - ruled out due to the concussion he suffered in the Test against the Springboks in Dunedin.

The All Blacks will have McCaw back in their ranks, and desperately need him to be on top of his game to boot. And McCaw, who watched from the stands in Sydney, feels Elsom's injury is a major blow to Australia as they look to heap further misery on the All Blacks.

"He's a big part to the way they operate," McCaw told NZPA.

"To be honest, while George Smith is good at the breakdown, Rocky is pretty damned good at the breakdown as well, and he is a physical, tough bugger, too.

"He's quick and good with ball in hand. He's a loss for them."

One thing that did not surprise McCaw was Robbie Deans' decision to replace Elsom with Phil Waugh, and in doing so countering his own return by playing two openside flankers.

"That has worked for them in the past. George had a pretty damned good game last week, and Phil will be itching to have a go," he said.

"We found out last week the problems if you allow loose forwards to have an impact.

"We got isolated at times. We didn't get the front-foot football we were after. So if we do that again this week, then the two of them will become real menaces. We have to make sure that we nail them, and don't let them get into the game."

While Smith and Waugh will alternate their positions in the back row, depending on the game situation, McCaw said the All Blacks were likely to revert to their specialist open and blindside flanker formation.

Back in the side McCaw has a huge task on his hands as he attempts to change the fading fortunes of his side, starting with winning the battle of the breakdown.

"We got beaten in the physical side of things last week," McCaw said.

"We lost the breakdown battle. Having sore bodies doesn't help, but we just have to get ourselves in a state of mind where we know that last week wasn't good enough, and have to turn up being better. I know the guys can do that."