Former All Blacks boss Steve Hansen has named the player he believes is the greatest to ever play rugby.
New Zealand icons Dan Carter and Jonah Lomu are usually right at the heart of the GOAT debate.
But Hansen overlooked both when naming his number one.
His choice? Richie McCaw.
Hansen names rugby's greatest
Hansen worked with some of the finest players in rugby history during his hugely successful spell with New Zealand.
But when discussing the best player he ever coached, there was one clear answer.
Hansen said of McCaw:
“I think he’s the best rugby player the world has ever seen.”
It is some statement considering the players Hansen worked alongside.
Carter won World Rugby Player of the Year three times and retired as Test rugby's record points scorer.
Lomu, meanwhile, became rugby's first genuine global superstar following his incredible performances at the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
Yet Hansen's admiration for McCaw goes beyond his ability with a rugby ball.
“He was phenomenal”
McCaw captained New Zealand to World Cup glory in both 2011 and 2015.
It was his contribution to the first of those triumphs that particularly impressed Hansen.
McCaw battled through the 2011 tournament despite a serious foot problem.
Hansen later revealed just how bad the injury really was.
He said:
“Our skipper had two broken bones in his foot.”
Hansen explained that the All Blacks coaching staff deliberately avoided digging too deeply into the injury.
He continued:
“We didn’t know they were broken because we didn’t ask.”
And there was a simple reason for that.
“We didn’t want to know and he didn’t want to say.”
McCaw kept playing.
He led New Zealand through the knockout stages before playing the full 80 minutes as the All Blacks edged France 8-7 in the final at Eden Park.
Hansen summed up his captain's efforts simply:
“He was phenomenal.”
“The toughest player I've ever coached”
Hansen has also spoken about the qualities that separated McCaw from other elite players.
The former All Blacks boss regarded his captain's mental and physical toughness as something special.
He said:
“He’s the toughest player I’ve ever coached.”
McCaw's willingness to keep going despite injuries became one of the defining features of his career.
He eventually played 148 Tests for New Zealand, captaining the All Blacks on 110 occasions.
McCaw signs off with another World Cup
McCaw's final international appearance came in the 2015 Rugby World Cup final at Twickenham.
New Zealand beat Australia 34-17 to become the first nation to retain the Webb Ellis Cup.
McCaw also became the first captain to lift the trophy twice.
He announced his retirement just weeks later.
Hansen's tribute following the announcement showed exactly where he believed McCaw belonged among New Zealand's greats.
He described him as:
“The greatest All Black we have ever had.”
Hansen also called McCaw:
“The greatest captain we have ever had.”
And when assessing his place in the wider game, Hansen went even further.
“Probably the greatest player we have ever had.”
