I hesitated to post this in case it’s tempting fate for tonight’s game. . .
Richie McCaw goes into the All Black changing room to find all his team mates looking a bit down. “What’s up guys?” he asks.
“Well Richie, to be honest we’re having all sorts of trouble getting motivated for this game against Australia . We know it’s important but we’ve just beaten Argentina and South Africa in consecutive weeks and, let’s be honest, it’s only the Aussies this week. They’re not at their best and we simply can’t be bothered”.
Richie looks at them and says “Okay guys, I hear what you’re saying. You’ve had a good season and the way I’ve been playing recently, I reckon I can beat these Aussies by myself. Why don’t you fellas go down to the pub and maybe catch the game on TV and leave the work to me.
The rest of the team are delighted with that and agree to leave the game to him.
So Richie goes out to play the Wallabies by himself while the rest of the ABs go off to the pub. After a couple of drinks they begin to wonder how the game is going, so they get the barman to put the telly on.
A huge cheer goes up as the screen reads ” New Zealand 7, (McCaw, converted try) — Australia 0″, 10 minutes into the game.
The TV goes off and the game is temporarily forgotten until someone suddenly remembers, “Heck, It must be full time now, let’s see how Richie got on”.
They get the telly put back on and look in wonder.
There on the screen is the result: Full-time – New Zealand 7, (McCaw, 1 converted try); Australia 7, (Sharpe, 1 try, Cooper Conversion.)
They can’t believe it! It’s a draw. Richie v Australia and he single-handedly managed a draw against the Wallabies!
Delighted, they rush back to Suncorp Stadium to congratulate him. They find him in the dressing room, still in his gear, slumped over with his head in his hands. He refuses to look at them. “I’ve let you down guys,” he mumbles disconsolately. “I’m so sorry, but I’ve really let you down.”
“Don’t be an idiot skipper; you got a draw against Australia , all alone, all by yourself. And they only scored a single try, right at the death, after 79 Minutes!”
“No, no, I have” says Richie. “I’ve let you down. I hope you can forgive me. Twenty minutes from full time, I got sent off!”
