Rugby: Richie McCaw is adamant the All Blacks can enjoy fulfilling Test careers even if success at the World Cup eludes them.
It is 21 years since New Zealand hosted and won the inaugural competition and their ongoing failure to reclaim the sport's greatest prize is a source of national torment.
An angry public reacted with disbelief at the most recent disappointment in France last autumn, with some protesters even calling for the returning players to be denied entry into the country.
Yet outside the World Cup the All Blacks have dominated Test rugby and normal service has been resumed since the quarter-final exit in Cardiff.
They top the world rankings, stormed last summer's Tri-Nations for the fourth consecutive year and will complete New Zealand's third successful grand slam tour if they topple England on Saturday.
McCaw believes such honours should be cherished and dismisses the view that only a World Cup triumph matters.
"You have to be able to gain lasting fulfillment without winning the World Cup," said the New Zealand captain and openside flanker.
"It's not easy when you have disappointments but hopefully we can put them into context. We can be proud of what we've accomplished this year.
"It would be awful to have finished your career having achieved some of the things we have, even up to now, and not feel like you've done good."
One of those achievements was New Zealand's clean sweep of the home unions in 2005, a feet that will be repeated if England are beaten at Twickenham on Saturday.
With morale battered by their record 42-6 defeat to South Africa, England are expected to provide flimsy opposition to the world's best team fielding their strongest line-up, including McCaw and Dan Carter.
But McCaw does not expect Martin Johnson's side to raise the white flag.
"They'll be hurting and will want to come out and get it right and show they're a good team," he said.
"We've been in a similar situation ourselves this year. We were beaten twice by the Aussies in July and it was a horrible time.
"When you get a chance to put it right, and luckily they have a chance seven days later, that's what you have to do.
"We're expecting them to throw everything into it and they will de desperate. We have to match that intensity or else it will be a long day."
McCaw has raised an eyebrow at England's decision to drop Tom Rees, one of their few outstanding players against the Springboks, for Michael Lipman at openside.
"I'm a little bit surprised, he's a damn good player," said the 27-year-old.
"All of England's loose forwards played well when they toured in June. It was a physical confrontation with them.
"I'm sure England have their reasons why they dropped him but the guy who has replaced him must be raring to go."
Not for the first time McCaw has been dogged by claims he treads a fine line, with respected former Australia coach Bob Dwyer claiming he is a serial offender at the breakdown.
But the Crusaders back row, who has won 32 of his 69 caps as captain, denied there is 'one law for McCaw'.
"I don't listen to that stuff because it's been said so many times. I don't know why it comes about," he said.
"Good number sevens can be bloody annoying and if I'm doing that then I'm not doing a bad job."
