New Zealand All Blacks captain retires after two World Cup championships

“He burst onto the scene and became very highly revered in New Zealand”.

“That last game, to have that as the lasting memory of the last time on the pitch – pretty satisfying”, said McCaw.

The 34-year-old McCaw, who made his Test debut in 2001 against Ireland in Dublin, will go down in history as the most decorated rugby player ever.

But I have hope. Having watched the ITM and Super Rugby tournaments this year, I am encouraged.

“When I became an All Black he was in the team”. Throw in Brad Weber, Ardie Savea and James Lowe, and New Zealand’s depth hasn’t been this competitive in years.

“We wish to thank all the people who have expressed their sympathies for our family at this incredibly hard time”, Lomu’s father-in-law Mervyn Quirk said in a statement on Friday. He ankle-tapped him. Jonah is then stumbling towards me, rather than standing upright, and like you do in your under-10 days you get your feet close and you drive your attacker.

Of the 17 nations he played against during a 14-year worldwide career, McCaw ended up on the losing team against just four – England, South Africa, Australia and France – while he experienced Test match defeat only twice on New Zealand soil from 61 appearances.

McCaw, who paid tribute to rugby “legend” Lomu during his farewell announcement, said: “Today, I thought about whether it was the right thing to do this”. One of the great things I’ve admired about Richie is his mental strength, and during that time he showed that mental strength.

Staggeringly, McCaw has captained New Zealand 111 times, after taking over from Reuben Thorne.

110: McCaw is the only player to captain his country more than 100 times in worldwide rugby.

“After the adversity of 2007 [When New Zealand lost in the World Cup quarter-finals] and the criticism that came with that, Richie’s mental toughness and desire to improve really shone through”. No forward crossed the try line more.

Dan Carter tweeted that he would have “done anything to have played a test with him”, while Lomu’s first All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick described him as a “special person”.

RIP Jonah…it is a very sad day for the RUGBY WORLD… what a fine player you were… still remember the BIG MAN in the World Cup of 1995. Wow.

Australian Rugby Union chief executive Bill Pulver called him “one of the all-time greats of our game and the greatest ever All Blacks captain”.

“I was thinking about my experiences with Jonah”.