All Blacks cart out Richie McCaw motivational speech amid team crisis
It has got to that point for the All Blacks where the outlook is so bleak that all they can do is share a motivational speech from Richie McCaw about what the All Black jersey symbolises.
After Ian Foster named an unchanged starting XV to face Argentina this weekend to the one that lost to the Pumas last Saturday, there is probably a sense of despair amongst the New Zealand public. So the All Blacks’ social media team thought it was best to share a McCaw video.
To be fair to Foster, he has made plenty of changes to his bench for the Hamilton rematch. He said “We are obviously looking to build parts of our game and this week is another chance to do that.
“This year’s Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship is extremely tight and that makes this weekend’s Test an exciting opportunity.
“As a group, this has been a week of refining areas where we know we can be better. It has been a good preparation in Hamilton so far and the hard work will need to continue so that we get a performance everyone can be proud of.”
That may not be enough for All Blacks fans though, which is why the ‘Richie McCaw video’ alarm was hit. This is what the former skipper said in the video:
“I think the All Black jersey symbolises a lot of what it means to be a New Zealander. A lot of people have gone before you and put a lot into it and have sort of help create, I guess, what the legacy is. The jersey and the team is always more important than any individual that came along.
“Saying that you’re just keep caretaking it, it’s never yours, you’re just looking after it for a time, the fact that it’s not, it means you’re there to give something to the team, not to take something. But the one thing about the jersey, and we always said it, is the jersey won’t do it on its own, it’s up to the individual to fill it. When you been trusted with that time to do it, it’s your job to fill it and enhance it and add something to it.
“I guess it comes with responsibility. You can see that as a weight on your shoulders, or you can see it as a great privilege and getting excited by it. Try not to be intimidated by what’s there and leave it in a bit of place than when you got it. If you always had it at the front of your mind, you can walk away and go ‘I did my time and did well, and it’s time for someone else to come along.'”
@allblacks It’s special how a simple black jersey can mean so much. #allblacks #rugby #nz
All Blacks match-day 23 (Test caps in brackets):
1.Ethan de Groot (7)
2.Samisoni Taukei’aho (14)
3.Tyrel Lomax (17)
4.Sam Whitelock (137)
5.Scott Barrett (53)
6.Shannon Frizell (20)
7.Sam Cane © (83)
8.Ardie Savea (65)
9.Aaron Smith (108)
10.Richie Mo’unga (38)
11.Caleb Clarke (8)
12.David Havili (19)
13.Rieko Ioane (53)
14.Will Jordan (18)
15.Jordie Barrett (42)
Replacements
16.Dane Coles (82)
17.George Bower (17)
18.Fletcher Newell (2)
19.Brodie Retallick (95)
20.Dalton Papali’i (15)
21.Finlay Christie (9)
22.Beauden Barrett (106)
23.Quinn Tupaea (12)
