Ex-All Black Mils Muliaina: 'Our leadership group isn't aligned'

In late 2023 when All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson took the role, it was expected that his Crusaders captain, Scott Barrett, would be named as the All Blacks captain ahead of Robertson’s first year in charge.

Barrett was indeed named captain, alongside a leadership group of the other Barrett brothers, Ardie Savea and Codie Taylor, who have all been vice-captains at some point during Robertson’s tenure.

Many cried out for current All Black centurion and inspirational Moana Pasifika captain, Savea, to be the team’s captain, but now well into the second season of Robertson’s tenure, fans and pundits are still discussing whether the decision made was the right one.

Savea led the team for their 33-24 victory over the Wallabies at Eden Park, while Barrett nursed a shoulder injury he picked up in the drubbing against South Africa in Wellington.

Former All Black centurion and captain Mils Muliaina is one of the former players that are questioning the leadership group, saying that the group of leaders in the All Blacks need to sort out the finer details of the decision making process.

“I think because we’ve got so many different options that we wanted to go to, our leadership group isn’t aligned, they’re not aligned.

“Saying, okay, well, we’re going to go into this, and we might try and stick to that for the next five or so minutes and then, in my mind it looks like as if someone wants to change, and others sort of don’t,” Muliaina said on The Breakdown.

“At the end of the day. It’s got to come down to that one person to make that sort of decision, and it’s got to be the captain.

“But for me, I think Scott is the captain, I think if you’ve got to keep going there, and the things that Robertson sort of talks about looking in the mirror and getting connected, it’s the finer details that they need to really sort out.”

Jeff Wilson, who played 60-Tests for the All Blacks, says on The Breakdown that the conversation about what the leadership group looks like going forward, needs to happen inside camp.

“It’s a conversation for Ardie Savea, Scott Barrett and Scott Robertson to have, not for us to have. For me, it’s them that need to have the conversation about what’s best for bringing this team forward.

“We’re not inside the camp, I’m not inside that group, I don’t know who’s doing the most talking, who’s delivering what.

“Look, I have no issue with Scott Barrett being the captain of the All Blacks or Ardie Savea as long as they’re aligned and they’re all aligned together, and I think they can get there.

“I think as much as we throw the speculation there based on a team performance, seriously, it’s about leaders. These guys are good enough and experienced enough, they’ve just got to agree.”

Former World-Cup winning All Black first-five Stephen Donald explains that for him, the leadership group also extends to the nine and ten combo, because they are the game drivers on the field.

“Well, I’m a little bit old school, and the captain holds everyone to account off the field and leads the team and is the face for the team, but on the field, your nine and your ten are dictating where you’re going on the park.

“Like they are your men, like they are the voice and they are telling you, captain, we’re going to be doing this, obviously if you’ve got someone as strong as a Richie McCaw, then he’s going to come back and say, nah, let’s do this.

“But for me, nine and ten are really important.”