AUTUMN TESTS NEWS:ALL BLACKS skipper Richie McCaw insists there will be no bad blood between him and Jamie Heaslip in their re-match.

Heaslip was given his marching orders for kneeing McCaw the last time Ireland literally faced up to New Zealand.

That red card wrecked Irish hopes of winning in New Plymouth last June and left his team-mates to face a brutal, 66-28 hammering at the hands of the ruthless Tri-Nations champions.

But McCaw insists the incident is water under the bridge ahead of their Grand Slam tour of Britain and Ireland next month.

“Those things sometimes happen on the field so you just move on,” McCaw said. “I don’t get carried away and I definitely don’t carry grudges. I can put that stuff away and get on with the game.”

But McCaw, who made his Test debut at Lansdowne Road in 2001, is braced for a hot reception at the new Aviva Stadium.

“We’re looking forward to all the games, they all have something different. The Irish game will be the first time we have played at the new stadium, so that will be special.

“The last time we played, in June, we only had the better of things in the first half. They played most of the rugby in the second half and scored some good tries.

“So we know that if we don’t turn up with the right attitude, we will have a tough day. I’ve never had an easy win in Dublin.”

McCaw has led his country more times than any other player but has more dates with history during the November Tests.

New Zealand are chasing a world record 18 Test wins in a row – they are on 15 ahead of Saturday’s clash against Australia in Hong Kong – while McCaw is three caps short of Sean Fitzpatrick’s mark as the most capped All Black.

“A Grand Slam would be really special, but I always say that we can’t think about things like that, or the world record. You can only look at the next game because they are all going to be so tough.

“But I know from experience that it’s a very satisfying feeling to go home having beaten all four nations. I’d love nothing better than to do that again.”

All teams have one eye on the World Cup in New Zealand next year where the pressure to secure the William Webb Ellis trophy will be enormous on McCaw.

The All Blacks have been guilty of peaking between World Cup tournaments, rather than during, but McCaw insists they have learned some painful lessons.

“We had a good tour before the last World Cup but we learned that you can’t afford to think that what you’re doing will be good enough for the next year. You can’t too ahead of yourselves.”

Despite their success, openside flanker McCaw says the touring party are looking to lift their game another level.

“When we were here four years ago, again a year before a World Cup, we had a good tour,” said McCaw. “We played some of our best rugby in that four-year period on that tour, but we have to improve on that this tour and not fall into the trap of thinking that what we are doing now is going to be good enough for next year. It’s about being able to pick it up and push on.”

By the time they host next year’s global showpiece, 24 years will have passed since their 1987 triumph, also on home soil. But McCaw says previous failures will not define how New Zealand approach the tournament.

“We have a World Cup at home but if you go into it thinking about what has happened before you won’t enjoy it.

“It is exciting to play in a World Cup and it will be even more exciting to do so at home. Every team there will have pressure and it’s about coping with that weight on your shoulders.

“It comes down to attitude in the knockout stages, you’re leaving it to chance if you are going to turn up and see how it goes.”

ITINERARY

NEW ZEALAND

(30-man squad, for the tour to Hong Kong, Britain and Ireland)

Forwards: John Afoa, Anthony Boric, Daniel Braid, Tom Donnelly, Hika Elliot, Ben Franks, Owen Franks, Andrew Hore, Jerome Kaino, Richie McCaw (capt), Keven Mealamu, Liam Messam, Kieran Read, Brad Thorn, Sam Whitelock, Tony Woodcock.

Backs: Daniel Carter, Jimmy Cowan, Stephen Donald, Andy Ellis, Hosea Gear, Cory Jane, Alby Mathewson, Mils Muliaina, Ma'a Nonu, Josevata Rokocoko, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Conrad Smith, Isaia Toeava, Sonny Bill Williams.

Schedule

Oct 30th: v Australia, Hong Kong Nov 6th: v England, London

Nov 13th v Scotland, Edinburgh Nov 20th v Ireland, Aviva Stadium

Nov 27th v Wales, Cardiff