Bringing Down The Wall

RICHIE MCCAW INTO THE ALL BLACKS’ CAPTAINCY WAS A NEAR IMPOSSIBLE JOB FOR KIERAN READ. BUT HE MADE ONE SIGNIFICANT CHANGE THAT WILL BE HIS LEGACY.

- Gregor Paul

There was never any way Kieran Read’s record as captain would stand comparison with the man he replaced in the job.

His predecessor, Richie McCaw, will probably never be surpassed in terms of longevity and success. His 10 years as All Blacks captain saw him lead the team more than 100 times and win the World Cup twice.

There was that and six Rugby Championships, three World Player of the year awards and a win ratio of close to 90 per cent.

So it was never going to be fair to compare and contrast the respective captaincy periods of McCaw and Read and make comparisons based purely on the statistics.

Read actually posted numbers that would stand impressively against any other captain. Just not McCaw. He captained the team 52 times which is one more than Sean Fitzpatrick managed.

Under Read’s leadership, the All Blacks won 85 per cent of their tests, retained the Bledisloe Cup and won the Rugby Championship three times out of four.

The failure to win the World Cup will forever upset Read and forever count against him when he knocks on the door of the Pantheon looking to take a place among the greats.

But to see his career in numbers only is to miss the essence of what he brought to the role and what he did for the All Blacks. It was no surprise to hear Sonny Bill Williams sign off his All Blacks career by saying Read was the best captain he ever played under.

Williams would not be alone in thinking that because Read led the team with an inclusivity that had never previously been witnessed in the All Blacks.

He was a leader with time for everyone. He was a captain who wanted to bring down the real and perceived barriers that were preventing the team from being truly united.

Read changed what others couldn’t and to understand his impact, we have to go back to a different time: a period when the All Blacks were riven with internal struggles and quaint ideas about how they should operate.