Sonny Bill Williams: Why Scott Robertson should ditch Scott Barrett for ‘gifted leader’ Ardie Savea as All Blacks captain
Ardie Savea and Scott Barrett in action for the All Blacks.
Sonny Bill Williams believes that Ardie Savea’s incredible form for Moana Pasifika could re-ignite the All Blacks captaincy debate.
While many observers are currently arguing what position the back-rower should be playing in, the former New Zealand centre insists that Scott Robertson should consider changing the skipper.
In 2024, it was a tight call between Scott Barrett and Savea, but Robertson ultimately went with the person he knew best from their Crusaders days.
Barrett duly led the All Blacks and did a fine job, with him set to reprise the role once again this year, but Williams suggests that the Moana Pasifika skipper’s performances should change that.
The 39-year-old is certainly in no doubt that Savea would be the right person to lead the All Blacks following his displays for Moana in Super Rugby Pacific.
‘What a captain to have’
“I think Ardie in his own humble way would say, ‘we’ve got a captain’ – but man, what a captain to have [in Savea],” he told the New Zealand Herald.
When Savea joined the Pacific Island Super Rugby franchise, it surprised many, but it is a move which has benefited both Moana and the player.
The back-rower, who has played prominently at openside flanker this season, has been in inspirational form with the team very much in play-off contention.
“He’s got all the qualities that make up a great man. As a leader and as a sportsman, he’s gifted – and he’s a Polynesian brother leading the way, so all power to him,” Williams added.
Savea may have been born and raised in New Zealand, but the loose forward has strong Samoan roots, and he has always wanted to honour them in some way during his career.
That has come at Moana, and Williams says that the 31-year-old’s influence could extend beyond what he does on the field.
“I’m in the space now where I see the breakdown from the number of brothers and sisters that we have playing this beautiful game, to the number of brothers and sisters that are in the boardrooms and that are talking about this game,” the ex-All Black added.
“If anyone is to make some big changes like that, he’d be one of those guys.”
Following the likes of McCaw and Cane?
Savea’s elevation to skipper would make sense in many ways, even if Robertson would be incredibly reluctant to make the change right now.
With many wanting the former Hurricanes star to take that openside flanker spot, he would follow the likes of Richie McCaw and Sam Cane in leading the All Blacks while being in possession of that prized jersey.
Two big decisions would have to be made for that to happen, however, although one of them – shifting him from number eight – has been heavily backed.
Justin Marshall and Josh Kronfeld are two New Zealand legends who have urged the All Blacks to move Savea to openside and it may well happen in 2025 given Cane’s retirement from Test rugby.
“I’ve been saying for three years that Ardie Savea is an openside flanker and nobody wanted to seem to listen, particularly All Black coaches,” Marshall told Sport Nation.
“The more I see him on the side of the scrum and how the rest of the loose forward trio balances out, and the player that he is in that jersey, the more it’s glaringly obvious that Scott Robertson needs to pick him in that shirt.”
