Heresy allowed from such an old hand (+ video)

Veteran broadcaster Keith Quinn reminisces during a visit to Dunedin yesterday to promote his...
Veteran broadcaster Keith Quinn reminisces during a visit to Dunedin yesterday to promote his latest book. Photo by Gerard O'Brien.

Who would dare suggest Richie McCaw is anything other than the greatest player ever.

Keith Quinn, that is who.

The veteran broadcaster was in Dunedin yesterday to promote his 15th book, Quinn's Whims, and told the Otago Daily Times he had enormous respect for McCaw's wonderful record for the All Blacks and his leadership skills.

McCaw, of course, announced his retirement last week.

It was a day after All Black great Jonah Lomu died suddenly.

''The Richie McCaw thing has been a source of great debate in my life,'' Quinn (69) said.

''I have some very good friends who have kind of charged me, over the years, of not being totally full of adulation and admiration for McCaw, which is not quite right.

''I was critical of McCaw as a young captain and I believe he botched the captaincy of the World Cup in 2007. I thought his captaincy was naive in the game against France in Cardiff and so I said so.

''But I soon learnt that you can't be critical of McCaw, especially as the image and the brand has increased. Of course, I now believe that he is a great leader of men. I think we've had better openside flankers than McCaw.

''I've been watching the replays of the 1995 World Cup and it has been reinforced to me how great Josh Kronfeld was in that team as a genuine running openside flanker. We know how great Michael Jones was back even earlier than that.''

So there it is. Some will consider it heresy but then Quinn has watched a considerable amount of rugby during a lengthy career that began in 1965 with a spot as a cadet for the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation.

He takes his argument a step further, suggesting Lomu and Sir Colin Meads had more impact on world rugby.

''I'm of a sufficient age to have watched quite a bit of the Meads time, and Meads changed the way the game was played in the world.

''Before Pine Tree Meads came along, forwards were trudges. They trudged from set piece to set piece to set piece.

''[Meads] had such big hands he could grab it like a little pip and run with it. And that was unheard of.

''Soon every team in the world had guys in the forwards like ... Colin Meads.''

Lomu had even more impact, Quinn said.

And Lomu's sudden death at the age of 40 has left Quinn ''heavy with sadness''.

''It is terribly tragic.

''He had tremendous health issues, as we all know, yet that didn't stop him from racing, charging at every opportunity to be involved in life.

''I never saw anyone quite as sensational when he was at his very best. Those are the memories I'll have of him and in particular, of course, the famous game against England in the semifinals of the World Cup in 1995 when he scored those four tries.

''It was a day when his life changed and a day when my life changed, because the commentary which was done that day has sort of now attached me to the Jonah story.''

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