Is the McCaw/Carter Era Over for the All Blacks?

Once again, the All Blacks have to contemplate life without Richie McCaw and/or Dan Carter. Bismarck du Plessis' apparently high tackle on Dan Carter has definitely injured the veteran first five - AC joint, out of the tournament - even if it has polarised fans' opinion as to whether it deserved a yellow card.

McCaw and Carter are definitely amongst the top ten players ever to don the black jersey and having them on the field when they are available for selection and are in some form is better than not picking them.

A few years ago, both photos would have made the first item on the 6 o'clock news. Now, not so much.

However, given their age, they are less likely to be able to recover quickly from injuries like they might have 5 years ago - a fact Steve Hansen is well aware about, which is why he has spent the last two seasons building the depth around those two players and preparing a gradual succession plan to put in place fully when those two have to kick the bucket.

Is Kieran Read worth more to Steve Hansen than McCaw or Carter now? Some say yes.

However, that plan has been used so many times this season that the All Blacks now seem to be a side that have moved on from McCaw and Carter - Kieran Read is captain fantastic now and the form and class of young guns, Aaron Cruden and Beauden Barrett, has meant that Carter hasn't exactly been missed. The same applies with Sam Cane and Matt Todd in regards to McCaw.

So is the McCaw/Carter era over for the All Blacks? Are they now dispensible to the national side?

As mentioned before, it is silly not to pick them when they are available, fit and on form given the class they have as well as the experience. But what if their form wasn't as good as it should be and their bodies aren't quite up to it.

Is Cruden v Barrett the new Mehrtens/Spencer rivalry?

I think Steve Hansen knows that McCaw and Carter have to fight Cane, Todd and Cruden, Barrett for their places in the squad meaning those two should continue to be in the reckoning for selection - and this is all the better for New Zealand rugby.

However, the fact that the All Blacks can't win without McCaw and Carter anymore doesn't hold much water anymore particularly on last night's evidence.

Sam Cane - bleeds more than McCaw too.

The current generation without McCaw and Carter more than held their own against a competitive and rugged Boks team, when lesser sides would have failed under the pressure of losing their key player so early in the game.

The big test though will be in Joburg in 3 weeks time when they face the Boks again on their terms. Even if they fail that test, one can say that the ABs have definitely moved on to life without Richie and Dan.