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McCaw enjoying Baa-baas relaxation

Tuesday 02nd December 2008

Loving the banter: McCaw rooming with Smit

New Zealand captain Richie McCaw will end an exhausting and emotional year by making his debut for the Barbarians in Wednesday's Olympic centenary clash with Australia at Wembley.

McCaw features in a Barbarians side drawn from the cream of the southern hemisphere and captained by South Africa's John Smit, who is joined by six of his 2007 World Cup-winning colleagues.

It is a unique experience and McCaw is relishing the chance to end a high-pressure season playing alongside many of the big names he spent the last nine months bashing from Christchurch to kingdom come.

McCaw and Smit, rival captains in the Tri-Nations and Super 14, are rooming together. So too are Welsh wing wizard Shane Williams, who starts on the bench, and South Africa's Bryan Habana.

"You are alongside people you wouldn't normally have a chance to play with," said McCaw.

"Normally we don't see each other after games, we have to just move on, so being able to sit and have a beer and a yarn without worrying about the pressures of next week is unique.

"Rooming with guys you normally beat the hell out of - or vice versa - is pretty good. And John is a good roomie. His snoring was alright last night!"

Meanwhile, McCaw would have no concerns about laying a fistful of dollars on South Africa to beat the Lions next year having led New Zealand on a Grand Slam tour of the British Isles.

McCaw is in a unique position to judge the strengths - or otherwise - of the British game with the 2009 Lions tour looming large at the end of the season.

"I suppose if you go on what has happened in the November you could pick the result pretty easily," he said.

"We played them back in 2005 and I am sure there are a few lessons learned from that trip. It is not easy for those guys to come and play at the end of a long, hard season.

"And given that John Smit is my room-mate with the Barbarians I have no choice but to say South Africa!"