LEADIING LIGHTS

THE ALL BLACKS HAVE TO USE THIS SUPER RUGBY CAMPAIGN TO FIND A NEW CAPTAIN TO REPLACE KIERAN READ AND THE CHOICE MAY NOT BE OBVIOUS.

- GREGOR PAUL

There hasn't been much mystery about the next All Blacks captain in recent years. The last appointment that had genuine intrigue was Tana Umaga in 2004.

He was the initial choice to lead the team when Graham Henry took over after the failed World Cup campaign in 2003.

Reuben Thorne had been captain at the tournament, a role he had held since 2002, but was far from a popular choice.

Henry had hinted that he wasn't a huge fan of Thorne as player or captain when he first came into the job but didn't allude to who he had his eye on.

So come late May when the first squad was picked, there was no inside knowledge as to who was going to be captain: there was no obvious candidate that everyone knew made sense.

Umaga wasn't a shock or a random choice, but he was by no means long destined for the role with everyone aware it would most likely be his.

But since Umaga, there has been a careful and deliberate succession plan which has meant the future has been mapped out.

Richie McCaw was identified as Umaga's successor in 2004 and was even given the test against Wales that year to lead the team. He had another test as captain in 2005 against Ireland in Dublin and so when Umaga retired after that tour, McCaw took over with his appointment never in dispute or remotely questioned.

He was 26 in 2006 and so it wasn't until 2012 as he approached his 30s that the All Blacks felt they needed to develop his successor – which was Kieran Read.

He captained the team nine times between 2012 and 2015 and so there was no doubt about who was going to be skipper in 2016 when McCaw retired.

But here we are now in 2020 and the picture is not so obvious about who will captain the All Blacks this year and presumably beyond.