Richie McCaw future: An open letter to ask the All Blacks captain not to retire

Dear Mr McCaw,

Congratulations on your Rugby World Cup success, and for managing to thrill England fans across the country even though the hosts were long gone from the tournament.

Now let’s get down to business. We’ve all been desperate to know what the future holds for one of the greatest players of all time. Retirement has been the assumption across the masses, but you know what they say about people who assume.

There’s the possibility that you could now stay on to the delight of those back home, although I imagine 148 Tests and 14 years of international rugby is taking its toll. At 34 years old, it would be some feat to appear at Japan 2019, but at present the odds aren’t in your favour.

Actually, the most telling hint we’ve had has come from yourself shortly after the final whistle on Saturday. The world over listened as you admitted you haven’t decided yet given the importance of the final, but also when you almost asked yourself why would you walk away from the good times like those at Twickenham and Eden Park when you’re still at the top of the game.

So, what’s left? Well here’s the point of this letter. Perhaps there’s something in between now and the next World Cup, something to aim for that will keep you motivated to push on even further than the All Blacks have reached so far, something like a British and Irish Lions tour.

I was lucky enough to join The Independent shortly before the 2013 tour of Australia and covered every second of it. However, I’m old enough to remember that your boys did a number on the Lions the last time they flew out to New Zealand, and with a pretty dismal World Cup campaign (for England) out of the way the next big event on the horizon comes in the Lions tour give or take a couple of Six Nations campaigns.

You would like to think that those players who hope to impress enough to feature on that tour when it comes around will want to test themselves against the very best, and in a New Zealand side led by yourself there’s not many that will argue that isn’t the case.

On top of that, the Lions managed to put 41 points past the Wallabies and the All Blacks only managed 34, but we won’t go into that right now.

So how about it? You’ve clearly got some serious thinking to do, and it’s not a case of saying you’ll face the Lions in two years’ time and actually doing it as anything can happen between now and then. You've also earned a good rest should you decide to call it a day, and extending your career simply for the fans would be selfish on our part. But not many can say they’ve beaten the Lions twice, along with two World Cups to boot and the many other accolades that have come along the way.

We sit and wait in anticipation for your decision.