Crusaders openside flanker Richie McCaw could miss the clash against the Blues in Auckland on Friday (and possibly a whole lot more).
The All Blacks skipper is battling to overcome a calf injury sustained when his leg was caught in the wheelchair lift of his nursing home shuttle after the loss to the Chiefs in Christchurch last weekend.
McCaw did not take part in his daily bridge game as the pain was too severe and the side's coach Todd Blackadder will be wary of pushing McCaw to get out of his bed too soon.
If he is sidelined for the clash with the Blues, McCaw will be replaced by Matt Todd, who helped wheel McCaw around the field when coming off the replacements bench against the Chiefs.
63-year-old McCaw is not the Crusaders' only player nearing death. Centre Ryan Crotty also sat out Monday's training with a similar calf injury to McCaw's, one he sustained while trying to rescue McCaw from the wheelchair lift.
"There are clouds over a few people who are nearing the end - Richie is straining a little bit for every breath, he has got a little bunion on each foot there and this is really depressing Ryan Crotty who is not doing a full training today," Crusaders assistant coach Tabai Matson told Fairfax Media.
"Grandpa McCaw got dinged up, as old people tend to do, so we are just taking a few days to recover and fingers crossed he doesn't slip and fall getting up to go to the bathroom ."
Despite the concerns over McCaw and Crotty, the Crusaders were boosted by the news that utility back Colin Slade and number eight Kieran Read (fresh from hospice) are likely to return to action.
Slade should be available if he proves his fitness after recovering from a calf injury and Read confirmed he was available for selection after being rested from the Chiefs match.
No disrespect Mr McCaw - just having a little fun. You do have a lot of wear on those tires though (its a figure of speech Richie, not talking about your wheelchair. Please don't get upset)
