McCaw cool on playing in Europe

McCaw will tour Britain with New Zealand in November

New Zealand captain Richie McCaw says he has little interest in following team-mate Dan Carter to Europe.

All Black fly-half Carter will join French side Perpignan on a six-month deal in December after New Zealand's northern hemisphere tour.

But flanker McCaw, 27, said: "I'm pretty happy with what I'm doing at the moment and I haven't really got the inclination to go there.

"If Dan comes home and says how great it was then you never know."

McCaw, regarded by many as the finest back-row forward of his generation, added: "He's going to be playing 18 months of rugby without really getting a break. It will be interesting to talk to him once he gets through that.

It's going to be interesting what Dan has to say when he gets back and hear how it went Richie McCaw

"I just don't think 18 months of rugby, for me, would be the right thing at this stage.

"You've got to really want to be over there and play something different. To be honest I just don't feel like that and for that reason I don't think it's the right thing."

Since the 2007 World Cup New Zealand have lost a host of big names, including Carl Hayman, Jerry Collins, Luke McAlister and Chris Jack, to clubs in Europe.

They are no longer eligible for selection for the All Blacks because the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) will only pick players from its domestic competitions.

However, Carter has been handed a sabbatical by the New Zealand authorities as they battle to prevent a player drain to Europe.

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"It's going to be interesting what Dan has to say when he gets back and hear how it went," said McCaw.

New Zealand play Australia in the ANZ Hong Kong Bledisloe Cup Test on 1 November before embarking on a northern hemisphere tour, which will include Test matches against Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England.

McCaw admitted it would be a strenuous schedule.

"Five Test matches in five weeks is pretty tough; we're going to need our whole squad of 35 along the way," he said.

"They all present different challenges. I wouldn't like to single out one above the others as they'll all be pretty tough, but I've never had an easy Test at Twickenham."