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IT’S not what you see, it’s how you see it that matters.

As a back row the majority of my game is spent chasing after the ball. It is the one thing that drives me as a player, the need to be on the ball as much as I can.

It’s the same with all back row forwards. As a result when you watch a game, the three numbers you invariably see at pretty much every breakdown are the 6, 7 and 8.

It is almost like we are the 10 or 12 mad young lads you see chasing after the ball in an U8 game in any rugby club around the country — the difference, of course, being we have forgotten to grow up and still harbour the need to chase after the odd shaped ball.

I can still remember the first time I saw George Smith playing for Australia. It was almost as if he was one of the characters from the movie Mad Max with his dreadlocks and huge frame. But what impressed me most was his incredible ability to be at the right place at the right time.

Where he needed to be for the team was having his nose two inches from the ball regardless of the pounding that came his way. His body position over the ball was impeccable, he was able to get his chest in line with his hips therefore he was using power generated from his legs as well as his upper body. It meant that if Smith got to the breakdown first he was almost impossible to move.

It is no coincidence that current Wallaby 7, David Pocock, has remarkable similarities to Smith in terms of strength, presence and importance to his side. The objective of his game is to allow the attack function with good quality quick ball.

And then there is Richie McCaw.

The greatest compliment a back row can receive is measured in the level of hatred opponents have for them. And for players like Paul O’Connell and Denis Leamy, the All Black captain tops that list.

McCaw is a constant thorn in every game. He is everywhere, crucial to his side’s momentum and a roadblock to that of the opposition.

Not only does he hit you in the tackle but he has the ability to regain his feet, let you go, and then steal the ball all in one movement.

For a back row this is something we all aspire to. He has the most complete game of any rugby player in the world. Sides change their game plans to accommodate the fact they are facing such a threat every time they take the ball into contact. I can’t help but think that this is why the All Blacks have been so successful for as long as they have been. They concentrate all their attention on how they are going to beat teams while their opposition spends so much time trying to find ways to stop the All Black No. 7.

Before the game it seems like McCaw has a smile for everyone and that he is just about to go for a run on the beach. After the game he looks like he has been 12 rounds with Mike Tyson. He puts his body on the line time and again and because of that, his team normally ends up on the right side of the result.

Because of such amazing players, the breakdown is now the zone where games are won and lost.

It is so important we have created our own language for it. It may look like a heap of bodies piled on the floor aimlessly but that pile is exactly where I need to be to do my job. We talk about ‘coming through gates’ ‘side entry’ ‘hip windows’ ‘breaking window’ ‘working the ground’ as if these are normal everyday things.

It must be a nightmare for a referee when he sees something illegal at a breakdown to remember what he is actually suppose to call the offence.

The objective of the back row at the breakdown is two fold. Firstwhen we have the ball we need to clear the bodies away from the tackle area as quickly as possible. Conversely when we are defending our objective is to regain the ball from the opponent in that very same area. While this isn’t always possible the fact that opposition need to send more men into the tackle area means that the ball they receive is that bit slower and they naturally have fewer players to attack with. That’s it in a nutshell. We try to make if fast when in possession and slow when without.

This weekend will be a massive occasion for both sides. Both teams will highlight the need for efficiency in this sector and that the winner of this battle will be the winner of the game. There is always massive skill evident in these games and I’ve no doubt you will be bombarded by replays of such examples. When you watch the highlights watch out for the guys picking themselves up of the ground in the background and trying to make their way back for the kickoff. Without those guys doing their jobs the players with all the ‘skill’ would never get the chance to be in the highlights.