page_title: Richie McCaw
section_title: 2006–07
hierarchical_section_title: Richie McCaw / Playing career / 2006–07
caption_attribution_description: All Black Captain Richie McCaw leading the Haka
context_page_description: Richard Hugh McCaw ONZ is a retired New Zealand professional rugby union player. He captained the national team, the All Blacks, in 110 out of his 148 test matches, and won two Rugby World Cups. He is the most capped test rugby player of all time, and has won the World Rugby player of the year award a joint record three times.
  McCaw was the first All Black to reach 100 caps, and the first rugby union player to win 100 tests. He is the most-capped player in rugby union history with 148 caps, having overtaken Brian O'Driscoll's record in 2015. McCaw has also equaled the record for most appearances at the Rugby World Cup with Jason Leonard.
  McCaw predominantly played in the openside flanker position for the New Zealand, Crusaders and Canterbury teams, but also played as a blindside flanker and no. 8. During McCaw's career, Canterbury won the NPC five times, and the Crusaders won four Super Rugby titles. In addition to winning two world cups, the All Blacks won seven Tri-Nations titles, completed three successful Grand Slam tours and won the Bledisloe Cup eight times.
context_section_description: McCaw led the Crusaders to the Super Rugby title again in 2006. In May 2006, at the age of 25 and after 36 test matches, McCaw was named captain of the All Blacks. His first two games as regular captain were against Ireland in New Zealand, while a separate squad led by Jerry Collins was named to travel to Argentina for a one off game. McCaw started his captaincy with victory over Ireland and then mentored stand-in captain Jerry Collins in Argentina. New Zealand emerged as 2006 Tri Nations champions (the only loss away to South Africa by one point) and retained the Bledisloe Cup. A successful European tour saw comfortable victories against England, France twice and Wales. McCaw was captain in every match and after being short listed in 2002, 2003 and 2005 was named the 2006 IRB International Player of the Year.
  Because 2007 was a World Cup year, All Black management decided that a select group of 22 players, including McCaw, would undergo "reconditioning" by not playing in the first seven rounds of the Super 14. McCaw returned to the Crusaders in the eighth round and helped them reach the semi-finals. New Zealand then beat a below-strength France team in two tests and won a one-off test against Canada. McCaw started on the bench for the Canadian match, with Reuben Thorne returning as captain. The Tri Nations was shortened because of the World Cup, with each team playing the other two teams twice (one home and one away game). Led by McCaw, New Zealand again dropped just one game (this time a five-point loss against Australia in Melbourne) retaining the Tri Nations crown and the Bledisloe cup.
caption: New captain McCaw leading a haka against France in 2006
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