McCaw lives for moment in quest to end Kiwis' jinx
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Your support makes all the difference.The All Blacks' World Cup mantra is roughly translated as to live in the moment and let results take care of themselves. Only one blast from the past has been permitted at training in the formidable form of Tana Umaga, the last captain before the incumbent Richard McCaw.
Even McCaw has conceded that this tournament will define his career and that of his team, many of whom suffered the semi-final defeat by Australia in 2003 – a match Umaga missed through injury.
And though Umaga can be relied upon not to keep banging on about 1987 and all that, a form of the No 13 jinx struck again when Wellington's Conrad Smith was ruled out yesterday with a troublesome hamstring, with Mils Muliaina moved to centre and Leon MacDonald in at full-back.
However much they try to talk themselves out of it, the rest of us perceive the Kiwi take on this World Cup to be dominated by their failure to win the trophy since the inaugural tournament 20 years ago.
"We have to make sure we stay composed and not run around all over the show," McCaw said of the favourites' opener against Italy here when both teams will be more or less at full strength. "It won't be perfect straight away, there will be a bit of rust in the system." New Zealand have not played a serious match since securing the Tri-Nations title in July.
The teams have met four times before in World Cups and New Zealand's wins – 70-6 in 1987, 31-21 (1991), 101-3 (1999) and 70-7 (2003) – offer the Italians no hope. Yet they have some. "I don't want to look arrogant but I have studied the [All Black] line-out and I think we can put them under pressure," said Marco Bortolami, Italy's captain.
New Zealand v Italy (Pool C, Stade Vélodrome, Marseilles, today, 12.45pm).
New Zealand: L MacDonald (Canterbury); D Howlett (Auckland), M Muliaina (Waikato), L McAlister (North Harbour), S Sivivatu (Waikato); D Carter (Canterbury), B Kelleher (Waikato); T Woodcock (North Harbour), K Mealamu (Auckland), C Hayman (Otago), C Jack (Tasman), A Williams (Auckland), J Collins (Wellington), R McCaw (Canterbury, capt), R So'oialo (Wellington) Replacements: A Oliver (Otago), N Tialata (Wellington), C Masoe (wellington), S Lauaki (Waikato), B Leonard (Waikato), A Mauger (Canterbury), I Toeava (Auckland).
Italy: D Bortolussi (Montpellier); K Robertson (Arix Viadana), A Masi (Biarritz), Mirco Bergamasco (Stade Français), M Stanojevic (Cammi Calvisano); R de Marigny (Cammi Calvisano), A Troncon (unattached); S Perugini (Stade Toulousain), F Ongaro (Saracens), M Castrogiovanni (Leicester), S Dellape (Biarritz), M Bortolami (Gloucester, capt), A Zanni (Cammi Calvisano), Mauro Bergamasco (Stade Français), S Parisse (Stade Français). Replacements: C Festuccia (Metro-Racing Paris), A lo Cicero (Metro-Racing Paris), Valerio Bernabo' (Brive), M Vosawai (Overmach Cariparma), P Griffen (Cammi Calvisano), G Canale (Clermont-Auvergne), E Galon (Overmach Cariparma).
Referee: W Barnes (England).
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