New Zealand has changed substantially over the past two decades. Farewell the long white cloud; welcome to the land of the long flat white. What will forever remain is the pressure on the serving All Black captain. Richie McCaw, the present keeper of the flame, is required to be a simultaneous mix of Sir Edmund Hillary, Colin "Pine Tree" Meads and Mother Theresa. He has done a sterling job; you could travel to the furthest corners of the North and South Islands and still find not a soul with a bad word to say about him.

Because McCaw is the embodiment of how most Kiwis like to see themselves: uncomplaining, modest, durable and resourceful. "He's very, very bright, he's brave and he's talented," said Graham Henry . "It's not a bad combination." Wayne Smith, the All Blacks's backs coach, is similarly fulsome. "Probably the same things characterise him as a player and a leader. He's bright, he's humble, he comes from a rural background so he's tough, he never gets too far ahead of himself and he's hugely resilient." McCaw on one leg, in other words, is better than most players on two.

And now, finally, the ultimate test of his leadership awaits. His friend and Canterbury team-mate Dan Carter is among those who believe McCaw's maturing contribution as captain is among the main reasons why the All Blacks will not blow it this time. "Richie's been huge. He's been frustrated with injury but his leadership has grown to a new level at this World Cup. That motivation has rubbed off on the guys. He is our leader and the guys follow him. For somebody not to be able to train and put in the performances he has done has been fantastic."

None of these are idle compliments. New Zealand cannot entertain complacency, even with bookmakers already paying out on a French defeat. But McCaw's performance in last Sunday's semi-final against Australia was remarkable by any standards. The nerves swirling around Eden Park were real enough. Opposite was David Pocock, heir to his crown as the world's best openside flanker. It was widely expected McCaw would not finish the game, having struggled with his ongoing foot problem against Argentina and not trained for a fortnight. Instead it was the Wallabies who blinked. McCaw was outstanding, his somersaulting steal from Anthony Faingaa the most obvious example. He topped the tackle count and hit more than 30 rucks with the stealth of a black panther. "We realised that playing against the Wallabies in a semi-final meant we had to take it to another level," explained McCaw matter-of-factly. "Every man made sure they did that."

A repeat performance and McCaw will join an illustrious club. David Kirk, Nick Farr-Jones, François Pienaar, John Eales, Martin Johnson and John Smit: it cannot be a coincidence that World Cup winners have inspirational leaders at the helm. In McCaw's case it will feel all the sweeter given his involvement in the failed 2007 campaign, when the All Blacks froze against France in Cardiff. Four years on, those close to him notice a discernible difference. "It starts with the leader," said Steve Hansen. "Richie has grown into an outstanding captain. I think the leadership group is a lot better than it was in 2007."

All of which underlines why few true rugby supporters will begrudge an end to two decades of Kiwi angst. Pass the 30-year-old McCaw in the corridor, in his T-shirt and jeans, and he does not block out the light, nor dazzle passers-by with his presence. On Thursday, by way of relaxation, he went shopping for fishing gear. By inclination he is an understated hero, his bashfulness a silent rebuke to lesser players who reckon they know it all. His grandfather, who flew more than 300 missions in the second world war, taught him to fly gliders from the age of nine but, otherwise, his upbringing was determinedly normal. His mother, Margaret, was a teacher and his father, Don, never played rugby. The family had a farm in the Hakataramea Valley in South Canterbury, and young Richard, as he was then, began his career at the local Kurow club. His team lost two games in five years. "Often, Richie would be our entire loose-forward trio, because being from a small country place we were often two or three players short," a team-mate recalled. "He was good enough for three players and we were still generally too good for the town teams."

He went on to be head boy and captain of cricket at Otago Boys High School but was kept out of the NZ Schools team by Sam Harding, another future All Black. Not for the first or last time in his life, disappointment merely spurred him on. One of his predecessors as captain, Anton Oliver, remembers coming across the young McCaw for the first time in the All Black team of 2001, the newcomer having not even started a Super 12 game. "When we got out of the changing sheds, he was usually the first to have his boots on and he was gone. I used to watch him and think he was like a sheepdog who's been tied up on the back of the truck or in the pen all night. You let them out and they tear off all over the place."

One hundred and two Test matches and three IRB Player of the Year awards later, the opposition still strain to catch him. Those who label McCaw a "cheat" at the breakdown are forgetting a top-class flanker's raison d'être. Nor do they fully appreciate his off-field influence. "In the last few weeks, when he hasn't been able to train much, he's still kept his performance high because he can play the game in the head and he's mentally tough," said Smith. "He's had a really positive influence on the All Blacks. I think this team is starting to be a reflection of him."

If the All Blacks do win on Sunday, their captain will deserve the torrent of praise heading his way.