New All Blacks leadership group taking shape
Dealing with the widest leadership void since after the 2015 Rugby World Cup will be the challenge for the All Blacks during their Rugby Championship campaign that resumes against Australia in Perth on Sunday.
With injuries keeping flanker Sam Cane and hooker Dane Coles from the trip, and paternity duties for lock Sam Whitelock, scrum-half Aaron Smith and fly-half Richie Mo’unga, the leadership group faces an ongoing challenge through the Tests against Australia, Argentina and South Africa.
New additions to leadership group
Vice-captain Beauden Barrett said centre Anton Lienert-Brown and hooker Codie Taylor had joined the leadership group. Both were natural leaders with their respective franchises, the Chiefs and Crusaders and were influential, he said.
But it was also an opportunity for young players to step up as well.
“You work together as a leadership group,” Barrett told the All Blacks’ official website. “You set up the week on a Sunday and you figure out how you want to drive the team for that week with the coaches, so it’s about getting that alignment, leading together as a unit and it’s the first week at it, so we’ll review it after the game and look to grow it as we go on through this tour.”
He is also confident in flanker Ardie Savea’s ability to lead the side.
“I’ve seen a lot of personal growth on and off the field with Ardie. I was lucky enough to play many years at the Canes [Hurricanes] with him,” added the 30-year-old.
“What you see is a strong leader who doesn’t speak too much, but when he does, you listen to him. The way he expresses his words and feelings among the team is powerful.
“He’s an absolute beast on the field, and that’s what you want as a skipper.”
Barrett and fellow vice-captain Brodie Retallick would do what they normally did, which was lead well by their actions, drive standards and support Savea.
“Nothing too much changes, vice-captain is just a title but it is great to be acknowledged I guess,” he said.
Barrett said they treated the first three or four days after arriving in Perth as a training camp before slipping into their usual Test preparation mode on Tuesday.
“We are aware of these games, and the number of times we’ve failed to have a clean sweep after a successful Bledisloe Cup, but we’re here competing in the Rugby Championship and we want to build into that, so that starts on Sunday,” 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.