The bitterness the rest of the world feels towards Richie McCaw is increasingly hard to contain according to the New Zealand Herald's Gregor Paul.
"There's barely disguised contempt for the All Black captain these days, as if his brilliance is neither real nor sustainable but for his unparalleled capacity to cheat.
"McCaw the cheat is the subject of choice in any test build-up; invariably the theme that dominates the post-match analysis.
"The skipper was ludicrously good in Wellington - something the South Africans were keen to dismiss as they questioned the legality of his work and the leniency of the referee.
"Springbok captain John Smit at least gave the impression he harboured a begrudging professional respect for McCaw; that the South African hooker would love to have the same favoured status among the world's leading referees.
"From Smit's perspective, the frustration is not that McCaw bends and occasionally breaks the rules, operating in the decidedly grey areas all quality opensides consider home. It's the fact he seems so regularly to win the benefit of the doubt; that referees are almost in awe of his reputation and powerless in his presence."
RSS feed
