McCaw not considering European move

Richie McCaw admits he will be an interested observer of Dan Carter’s six-month sojourn with Perpignan, but the New Zealand captain does not have the “inclination” to follow his All Black team-mate to Europe.

Carter will make a lucrative move to the French Top 14 side following the All Blacks’ tour of Hong Kong, Britain and Ireland, which takes place next month, after negotiating a release clause in his contract with the New Zealand Rugby Union.

McCaw also has an option in his deal with the NZRU which would allow him to play overseas but remain eligible for New Zealand.

However, at present, the prospect of a switch has not crossed his mind.

“From my point of view I haven‘t started considering it at all,” said the 27-year-old.

“It hasn‘t really gone through my mind – I‘m pretty happy with what I‘m doing at the moment and I haven‘t really got the inclination to go there.

“Circumstances may change and if Dan comes home and says how great it was then you never know.

“But at the moment I‘m quite happy with what I‘m doing.”

Carter‘s stint with Perpignan will end in June before he is thrust into the 2009 Southern Hemisphere calendar and McCaw, who has 65 caps – 29 as captain - for New Zealand, will speak to the number 10 about the switch on his return.

“It‘s going to be interesting what Dan has to say when he gets back and hear how it went,” added McCaw.

“He‘s going to be playing 18 months of rugby without really getting a break.

“It will be interesting to talk to him once he gets through that.”

An irrepressible openside flanker who is among the best breakdown players the game has seen, McCaw has reservations about constant rugby.

“I just don‘t think 18 months of rugby, for me, would be the right thing at this stage,” he added.

“You‘ve got to really want to be over there and play something different. To be honest I just don‘t feel like that and for that reason I don‘t think it‘s the right thing.”

McCaw, who lines up for Canterbury against Wellington in the Air New Zealand Cup final on Saturday, already has a strenuous schedule.

New Zealand meet Australia in the historic ANZ Hong Kong Bledisloe Cup Test on November 1 before Test matches against Scotland (November 8), Ireland (November 15), Wales (November 22) and England (November 29), plus a midweek fixture against Heineken Cup champions Munster (November 18).

“Five Test matches in five weeks is pretty tough, we‘re going to need our whole squad of 35 along the way,” said McCaw.

“They all present different challenges. I wouldn‘t like to single out one above the others as they‘ll all be pretty tough, but I‘ve never had an easy Test at Twickenham.”