Reuben Thorne tackles questions over Scott Barrett's All Blacks captaincy

Scott Barrett’s All Blacks captaincy has come under the spotlight in the wake of the team’s historic loss to the Springboks in Wellington. But that attention is largely misplaced, according to Reuben Thorne, a man more familiar with the role than many.

Thorne, a 51 Test All Black who owns an 84.3 per cent win rate in the jersey, reviewed Saturday’s contest with Jason Pine on Newstalk ZB and conceded the Springboks were “completely dominant” in the second half.

Once the visitors got on the front foot, the momentum overwhelmed any effort to slow them down, leading to questions about the All Blacks’ tactical approach on the field and their ability to adapt on the fly.

For Thorne, however, the responsibility for those adjustments is shared throughout the team’s leadership group. Experienced campaigners like Beauden Barrett, along with team co-captains Jordie Barrett and Ardie Savea, can see what the lock can’t when it comes to play beyond the forward pack, he said.

But along with the in-game frustrations, fans are also looking to the skipper’s media appearances for some encouragement and confidence that the team’s issues will be resolved with the sense of urgency they deem needed.

“It’s very hard in the heat of the moment, straight after a game, when you get a camera and an interviewer coming up to you and wanting answers immediately post-match, particularly when you’ve been on the receiving end of a loss like that,” Thorne told Jason Pine on Newstalk ZB.

“He’ll need time to reflect on it, and they’ll look back closely on what they’ve got. But to expect him to front up and have answers straight away and articulate that really clearly straight after a game, it’s really challenging. I think we give him space, give the team some time to look at it.

“It’s not him, in my view. He’s playing well, he’s doing his job, he’s getting on with things. I think there are other issues within the team that need fixing, and he’s just one part of it.”

Thorne emphasised the leadership group’s responsibilities and that the captaincy role requires authenticity and the need to speak well publicly. He also highlighted the breadth of Barrett’s role, spanning team and coaching relationships, a wide understanding of the commercial side of the game, as well as his media appearances.

As a former Crusaders captain and recent head coach of the Canterbury NPC team, Thorne has seen Barrett’s leadership in action.

“Well, he’s done a good job at Super Rugby level, and he and Razor obviously have a good, strong relationship. I haven’t spoken to him personally about it. I’ve watched him at Super Rugby level, never in the All Blacks environment, but at Super Rugby level, he’s really clear about what he expects of his players, and he speaks well to the team, and they certainly respect him.

“I think he’s more than capable of doing it, but as I said, I think there are other issues with the All Blacks team, and just the depth and the talent that we’ve got at the moment. And I think there are other things going on that are making it very challenging at the moment.

“If you look at the Springboks, on the other side of it, the depth and the talent that they have, currently, is just far more than what we have.”

With the Bledisloe Cup approaching, Thorne acknowledged the growth of the Wallabies and the irony of having wanted the Australians to return to their competitive best, only for it to coincide with the All Blacks looking “a bit shaky”. Still, he saw the Kiwis as favourites for the matchup.