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'It's out of this world': Savea 'lost for words' after being named captain

By Ben Smith
Anton Lienert-Brown, Ardie Savea and Richie Mo'unga. (Photo by Andrew Cornaga/Photosport)

For new All Blacks captain Ardie Savea, 2021 has been a learning curve after first being handed the captaincy of his Hurricanes club and now the national side as Ian Foster’s side prepares to take on the Wallabies in Perth.

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Savea’s leadership style will be more action-driven as he soaks up the responsibility of leading the All Blacks for the first time when they run out onto Optus Stadium.

“I’ve just trusted my process and what I do, for me it’s all about leading on the field and leading with action,” Savea explained to the press following the announcement.

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“I’m a man of a few words, so as long as I know I can lead with action and do the talking on the field then that’s a huge step into leading well.

“I’m just blessed, this year has been a massive learning curve for me in terms of the leadership role with the Canes and then being here today, I’m just grateful and really excited for the journey ahead.”

A text from head coach Ian Foster put Savea in stress-mode, with the 27-year-old loose forward first thinking he had done something wrong and that he would be in trouble.

“I just got a text from Foz, I thought I was in trouble so I was stressing out trying to think ‘what have I done, what have I done’, searched the media see if I’ve done anything,” Savea said.

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“He just sat me down and explained to me. I was literally shaking, he told me and then the rest is history, just here right now.”

Savea will have his former Hurricanes teammate Beauden Barrett and returning Chiefs lock Brodie Retallick as dual vice-captains to lean on, something he is comfortable to do given how much experience they have.

“It’s amazing having those two lads right beside me, Guz [Retallick] brings a lot of experience and fire and Baz [Barrett] is just cool, calm, collected. He’s controlling our game over here,” Savea said.

“So it’s amazing to lean on them, I’m kinda new to this and sometimes doubt myself but I know it’s a calling for such a time. I’ll lean on them a lot and hopefully lean forward.”

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The newest All Blacks captain will join a short list of names of those who have lead the New Zealand rugby team, a job Savea called ‘a huge honour’ and ‘massive responsibility’ but for him personally, it was about inspiring the youth that anything can be possible.

“It’s a huge honour, it’s a massive responsibility, but I think of it as a bigger picture kind of thing for all those kids that are out there that don’t believe in themselves, that don’t have the luxury of living of where they are,” he said.

“For me, it’s about showing them that they can, and be that person.

“It’s huge. I haven’t processed it yet. I’m just still in awe, the team that you dream of as a kid and be able to lead, it’s amazing. I’m just lost for words.

Savea will become one of a hanful of captains with Pasifika heritage for the All Blacks, behind the likes of Tana Umaga, Mils Muliana, Keven Mealamu, Jerry Collins and Rodney So’oialo, a fact that brought immense reflection for Savea as he recalled his parents journey to move to New Zealand from Samoa.

“It is [a huge source of pride]. To be able to lead such a team, it’s out of this world when I think about it,” he explained.

“To be able to tell mum and dad, is huge. Two people that migrated from Samoa to create a better life for their kids, it’s pretty crazy. To be here, for them, it’s pretty special,” an emotional Savea explained.

Becoming an All Blacks captain never felt like a realistic goal for Savea, explaining that just being named in the team seemed like a goal that was hard to reach.

“To be honest, nah. For me, just to be named in the team was a goal that seemed so far away. But things happen for a reason so I’m just going to embrace it. I’m nervous but I’m excited.”

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J
Jon 3 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 6 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

28 Go to comments
A
Adrian 8 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

28 Go to comments
T
Trevor 11 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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