All Blacks captain pledges to raise his game
McCaw insists his performance today against Wallabies will be 'another step up' as Australia target All Blacks fly half making his test debut
All Blacks captain Richie McCaw was battered, bruised and didn't fully recover until Tuesday, yet sent a warning to his Australian counterparts he was still working to get better.
The 32-year-old McCaw played more than 70 minutes last week in the All Blacks 47-29 victory over the Wallabies, confounding expectations from across the Tasman Sea he would be ring rusty after a six-month sabbatical from the game.
He had entered the opening Rugby Championship clash at Sydney's Olympic Stadium with only a low-level club match and two cameo appearances off the bench for the Canterbury Crusaders under his belt.
But the open-side flanker became increasingly influential in the test match, overcoming an opening quarter when he appeared overeager to get involved and being penalised several times by referee Craig Joubert.
"I was all right after about Tuesday," McCaw said with a laugh while standing sideline at Wellington Regional Stadium. "The body was a bit bruised but you expect that. I was a little bit inaccurate from the start.
"Overall I was happy enough but I also realise that I was no means perfect and ... I just need to make sure that my performance this week is another step up and I can contribute to the team as well."