4 Mar 2014

McCaw to have surgery on broken thumb

5:48 am on 4 March 2014

Injured All Black captain Richie McCaw will have surgery today to insert a screw into his broken thumb.

The openside suffered the injury in the Crusaders 35-24 loss to the Blues in Auckland on Friday night.

McCaw saw a specialist yesterday who confirmed the Crusaders worst fears that the loose forward would need an operation.

The 33-year-old will be sidelined for up to two months while he recovers.

The screw will remain in McCaw's thumb permanently but should have no long-term ill-effects.