by Michael McCann

NEW ZEALAND captain Richie McCaw and coach Steve Hansen were not bothered about the jeering that followed the flanker’s “dumb” sin-binning in the win over Argentina on Sunday.

McCaw had no complaints about the punishment or the hostility that followed from a 89,019 strong crowd at Wembley, the largest ever in Rugby World Cup history.

The All Blacks suffered a difficult first half, as both McCaw and Conrad Smith were sin-binned, with Argentina recovering from 9-0 down to lead 16-13 ahead at half-time.

New Zealand eventually prevailed 26-16 whileMcCaw reflected on his yellow card, given for tripping Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, and the boisterous stadium reaction that followed.

“Well, I was sitting in the sin bin at the time so I didn’t really have a lot of comeback with that,” he said of the crowd’s jeering.

“It was a dumb mistake I made. But you can’t worry about those sort of things, it is what it is.

“It’s happened before, there’s no good getting worried or all wound up about it. That’s not going to help you. I guess it’s a way of trying to put you off but you’ve just got to block that sort of stuff out.”

McCaw was loudly booed by a vibrant pro-Argentina crowd as his face came on the big screen and could have seen red for such a cynical professional foul — referees have been encouraged to enact harsher enforcement on this.

The All Blacks captain showed his composure by recovering to lead his team to a second-half recovery, but admitted nevertheless to disappointment with his own behaviour.

“It was one of those things that as soon as it happens you wish it hadn’t. I knew straightaway, it was a reflex thing and it wasn’t the right thing to do.

“We suffered because of it and I put the team under pressure because of it,” said McCaw, who picked up just his third yellow in 143 international caps.

The decision was given by English referee Wayne Barnes, who has history with the All Blacks after being blamed in New Zealand for their defeat to France in the 2007 World Cup quarter-finals.

That fact was not lost on watching Kiwis, having gained prominent public profile after McCaw wrote in his autobiography that in 2007 Barnes was too inexperienced to be officiating at that level.

Hansen saw the boos for McCaw as a familiar mark of respect, commenting with a wry smile:
“Well, it’s normal over here. It’s been happening for years.

“We’ll take it for what it is, a mark of respect against a great player. You don’t get booed unless you’re any good. If you’re no good, no one cares.”