The All Black captain, Richie McCaw led Canterbury to the NPC title in 2004 and then took the Crusaders to back-to-back Super rugby titles in 2005 and 2006 before assuming command of the national team. The 2006 International Rugby Board and New Zealand Player of the Year, and generally regarded as without peer among the globe’s openside flankers, McCaw featured in the Crusaders final-winning teams in 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2008. A knee injury suffered in the Crusaders semi-final loss against the Bulls in Pretoria meant McCaw played no part in the Iveco Test series of 2009 against France and Italy. Before the 2009 Tri Nations kicked off, McCaw had played 70 Tests for the All Blacks, 33 as captain. McCaw played in his first Ranfurly Shield challenge against Wellington this season and was successful, Canterbury winning 36-14 in the capital.