April 26 (Reuters) – New Zealand’s rugby World Cup winning
captain Richie McCaw will make his long delayed return to the
field on Sunday after he was named on the Canterbury Crusaders’
replacements bench for their Super Rugby clash against the New
South Wales Waratahs.
The 31-year-old loose forward has not played since he lifted
the Webb Ellis trophy following the All Blacks’ victory over
France at Eden Park on Oct. 23 last year.
McCaw had battled immense pain throughout the World Cup from
a screw that had been inserted to fix a fracture in his foot,
which had also kept him out of several weeks of last year’s
Super Rugby competition.
He had the screw removed after the World Cup and had said he
did not expect to play again before April.
The seven-times champions made a slow start to the season,
but have started to show signs they will again be strong title
contenders after they ended the Stormers’ unbeaten run on April
14 then destroyed the Wellington Hurricanes 42-14 last Saturday.
McCaw’s All Blacks team mate Tony Woodcock, however, has
been ruled out of Auckland’s clash with champions Queensland
Reds at Eden Park on Friday after he sustained a calf strain at
training.
Woodcock had taken an extended break after the World Cup and
made a late start to the Blues’ campaign, adding steel to their
scrum.
The Blues, tipped as potential champions before the season
began, have only won one game in their eight matches and are
bottom of the standings on 12 points.
Tevita Mailau moves into the starting line-up to replace
Woodcock and Auckland prop Angus Taavao will be the bench
replacement.
Blues captain Keven Mealamu is also battling a calf strain
and has not been considered for the second successive week with
young openside flanker Luke Braid again taking the captaincy.
(Reporting by Greg Stutchbury in Wellington; Editing by Peter
Rutherford
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