Richie McCaw feels uneasy handing back the Rugby World Cup but believes the All Blacks are building a team capable of reclaiming it.
New Zealand captain McCaw returned the Webb Ellis Cup to the International Rugby Board at a ceremony in Dublin on Monday which unofficially marks the midway point between the 2011 and 2015 tournaments.
"It's a funny old thing to be doing, isn't it? Handing it back," McCaw said.
"But every time I see the cup, I always get reminded about how much energy you have to put in to winning the thing."
The veteran flanker is more than satisfied with the All Blacks' progress since scraping past France in the final at Eden Park two years ago.
Since then, they have won 25 of their 27 Tests under coach Steve Hansen and this week extended their reign as the world No.1-ranked side to four years.
McCaw is one of four centurions in the squad, complemented by some impressive newcomers who he says have revitalised the team in 2013.
However, the 32-year-old sounded a warning when asked if this was the strongest team he had been part of in his 12-year career.
"I think back to the talent we had in teams in 2006-07. We were a pretty talented team but we came up short when it counted."
That side's elimination in the 2007 World Cup quarter-final by France added to New Zealand's record of having never won the tournament offshore.
McCaw hopes it will be sixth time lucky in England in 2015.
"It was hard enough to win it at home. If anything, it adds a bit of pressure," he said.
"There's only one team that gets the home advantage and, as we saw a couple of years ago, it doesn't make things a whole lot easier really."
Share
