Ardie Savea takes over All Blacks captaincy
Ardie Savea of New Zealand during the Second Bledisloe Cup Rugby match between New Zealand All Blacks and Australia Wallabies at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand, Sunday, October 18, 2020. (AAP Image/David Rowland) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY ** STRICTLY EDITORIAL USE ONLY, NO COMMERCIAL USE, NO BOOKS **
Back-row Ardie Savea will take over the All Blacks’ captaincy role in the absence of Sam Whitelock for the rest of the Rugby Championship.
Whitelock has himself been filling in for the injured Sam Cane but, with Whitelock remaining in New Zealand for the birth of his child, Savea has been handed the honour.
In a new-look leadership group, Brodie Retallick and Beauden Barrett have been selected as vice-captains ahead of their Bledisloe Cup clash against Australia.
Ian Foster’s men have already secured successive victories over the Wallabies and are looking to make it a clean sweep.
Another win would put them in an excellent position going into the rest of the Rugby Championship, but they will have to do it without four key players.
Aaron Smith, Richie Mo’unga and Dane Coles have joined Whitelock in being left behind in New Zealand, but Foster has backed Savea to do an excellent job, despite the absence of those experienced individuals.
Change in strategy
“In some ways it’s a changing time and we’ve gone with a changing strategy,” the head coach told Newstalk ZB.
“Ardie has been a key part of our leadership group and I love that he has a very different style of leadership.
“He’s very empathetic, he’s got a great affinity right across the group and reads the group well from a family and emotional side, and I think that’s a really important quality to have in the situation we’re in.”
Foster, despite only taking the head honcho role in 2019, has been part of the All Blacks’ coaching staff throughout Savea’s time in the squad and is confident that the back-row will thrive.
“He’s a growing man in the environment and I’m delighted; I think he’s got a great feel for the team and it will be a great learning curve for him too,” he added.
Ardie Savea to captain New Zealand
Back-row Ardie Savea will take over New Zealand’s captaincy role in the absence of Sam Whitelock for the rest of the Rugby Championship.