Scott Barrett was the safe, obvious choice as All Blacks captain

It was no surprise when Scott Robertson appointed Scott Barrett as captain of the All Blacks.

That’s not to say I don’t have mixed feelings about it.

Barrett is a good guy. He is considerate, sincere and cut from the traditional captain’s craft.

He will represent the team well in the ceremonial aspects associated with the position of captain.

You can trust that Barrett will be friendly to sponsors and media, that he will treat the brass brigade at New Zealand Rugby with respect and that he will not say or do anything that could tarnish the brand.

In other words, he’s a safe choice.

He will play on the field. We’re so short on locks that there shouldn’t be any questions about his place on the team like there always was with Sam Cane.

Barrett will also be able to translate Robertson, which should not be overlooked.

There isn’t always much that Robertson says that makes sense. You assume that his message is better understood within a team, but to the outside world the new coach talks in riddles.

Barrett has been through the same thing with Robertson and any player who is confused can go to him knowing that he knows what the coach means.

Looking at the 32-player squad that will face England, I suspect the All Blacks are in for a few difficult years.

New Zealand

England

Barrett is probably better equipped to explain losses than Savea. Savea’s heart is probably too close to his sleeve.

You don’t have to be a captain to lead. Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Dane Coles and Aaron Smith were all leaders in the previous All Blacks group.

Just like Savea, Codie Taylor, Jordie and Beauden Barrett, TJ Perenara, Anton Lienert-Brown and Patrick Tuipulotu will now be.

I’m sure other players think they have something to offer in that area, but I don’t.

Like I said, if you look at things honestly, Barrett was the logical choice for captain.

From NZR to the coaching staff and sponsors, Barrett fits the profile: a rural background, a rugby family, a Crusaders background and no ego whatsoever.

The kind of nice young man you would love to see your daughter marry.

None of this is without merit, but it’s not 1960 anymore.

Savea would be captain any day of the week for me, but I doubt he would be for Robertson.

From the moment he was appointed coach, Barrett would be the captain.

I love the tradition of rugby in New Zealand, I thought we had values ​​and a culture that served us well for decades.

I’m not in favor of changing things because someone in marketing or diversity and inclusion says we need to move with the times.

But this is a team that needs to reinvent itself.

There has been too much continuity and succession, too many of the same ideas, too much reliance on Wayne Smith’s coaching tree.

Maybe Robertson and Barrett will work wonders. Maybe, despite the similarity of this selection to the previous ones, they will get more out of these players than Ian Foster did.

But at first glance we all seem to have the same types of athletes, all suited to the same type of football, which has not been as effective for years.

We don’t have locks. We have free-range attackers who can play in multiple positions, but who don’t demand selection in any position.

There is no reliable first-five-eighth or full-back in this 32 and minimal midfield options.

The wings are fine and Will Jordan will undoubtedly move to full back once fit, hopefully allowing Damian McKenzie or Beauden Barrett to get into the first five, something Richie Mo’unga couldn’t do under Foster.

I can’t say that having Savea as skipper would have changed anything or made the team demonstrably better.

But I doubt that Barrett’s appointment as captain inspired confidence in anyone. They would have understood the reasoning, but the excitement would have been zero.

I wish Barrett the best. Just as I wish the same for Robertson, who has been pushing his wheelbarrow for years.

I haven’t watched the squad and captaincy announcement and feel the future of this All Blacks team looks brighter than before.

I look forward to being proven wrong.