‘Overhyped’: Stephen Donald weighs in on Dave Rennie’s looming captaincy call

Former All Black first-five Stephen Donald believes Dave Rennie’s next All Blacks captaincy decision doesn’t hold as much significance as some may expect.

Rennie is just over two months away from the first Test as All Blacks head coach, against France at Christchurch’s One New Zealand Stadium.

A new captain is yet to be named, and with Rennie and Mike Blair still in Japan for the majority of the next month until the Japan Rugby League One season finishes, the decision is still a while away.

Rennie currently coaches Ardie Savea in Japan at the Kobelco Kobe Steelers, while other candidates, Codie Taylor, incumbent captain Scott Barrett, and Jordie Barrett, have all been floated as possible options for the new head coach.

The former World Cup-winning All Black first-five explained that if you have an experienced No.10 with other leaders around the field, the captain doesn’t matter as much.

“This might be unpopular, but isn’t it overhyped, like, does it matter? I’m just not convinced it really, really matters,” Donald said on The Breakdown.

“We were lucky enough to play for guy who was beyond comparison, as far as captains goes in Richie McCaw but I’ve never played with anyone close to that sort of captain and ticks those boxes.

“When you think you’ve got Codie Taylor, Scott Barrett, Ardie Savea and the likes, all in one forward pack. Does it really matter who runs out first, and you’ve got an experienced 10 and you’ve got one of the world’s best nines.”

Wilson completely disagrees, as he feels this All Blacks group is in need of a strong leader in order to succeed.

“I think it matters massively for this group, because they’re going through a lot of change in a short period of time, and they’ve got 18 months to get it right, and if you don’t pick the right person to lead that you’re going to fail,” said Wilson.

“I think there’s this point to that, but to your point, it’s got to be a small leadership group, right?

“I think you need a captain that stands out and says he is the guy that’s going to take charge. Yes, you’re gonna have the other guys that are driving the game around with your tens and things like that,” Muliaina said on Sky Sport.

“It’s another important position, so the captain and your tens to drive them around, but I think a small leadership group, but you need someone that’s saying, hey, that’s our captain, and the buck stops there when you’re making decisions, particularly when you’re out on the field.”