How ABs captains rate

At a glance

Highest winning percentage as All Blacks test captain

Wayne ‘Buck’ Shelford: 96.4%

Richie McCaw: 89.1%

retired with 80 per cent win rates, headed by Shelford and McCaw.

Next on that list (of those to captain 10 tests or more) was Andy Dalton on 88.2 (15 wins from 17), Reuben Thorne on 87 (20 from 23), McCaw’s predecessor Tana Umaga on 85.7 (18 from 21) then Read on 84.6.

The late Brian Lochore (83.3 per cent) and 1987 World Cupwinning skipper David Kirk (81.8) (minimum 10 tests): ■

(13 wins, 1 draw, 0 losses) (97 wins,

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2 draws, 11 losses) ■

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3 losses) ■

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2 draws, 7 losses)

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3 losses)

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■

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■ ■ (15 wins, 2 (20 wins, (18 wins, 3 (43 wins, (15 wins, (9 wins, 2 (12 wins, 3 (8 wins, 2 (3 wins, 0 (6 wins,

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0 losses)

■ * Source: ESPNScrum.com

Andy Dalton: 88.2%

Reuben Thorne: 87%

Tana Umaga: 85.7%

Kieran Read: 84.6%

Brian Lochore: 83.3%

David Kirk: 81.8%

Gary Whetton: 80%

Anton Oliver: 80%

Current players: Sam Cane: 100%

Sam Whitelock: 100%

are next, with Whetton and Anton Oliver both on 80 per cent to round out the top-10.

Of those to captain the All Blacks in 20 tests or more, McCaw, Thorne, Umaga and Read are the top-four, followed by Wilson Whineray (78.3 per cent from 30 tests), Sean Fitzpatrick (77.5 per cent from 51) and Taine Randell (56.8 per cent from 22).

Cane takes the reins aged 28 with the All Blacks’ next test yet to be confirmed, but most likely a Bledisloe Cup amid the mooted trans-Tasman bubble.

Incoming All Blacks coach Ian Foster said he had a gut feeling for some time that Cane was the man for the top job.

‘‘This wasn’t a question about making a decision on one person who could probably do it, it was about which person suited,’’ Foster said.

‘‘Sam has got the respect of the training shed, he trains hard. He walks the talk. He is a straight shooter, he likes to think a lot about the game and think about where players are at.

‘‘And wants real clarity. He can annoy you at times. He comes and asks a lot of questions, he challenges. I think that is exactly what we want out of a captain.’’

Richie McCaw in his final All Blacks haka ahead of the 2015 Rugby World Cup victory in London.

Wayne ’Buck’ Shelford never lost in 14 tests as All Blacks captain.

Kieran Read after his final match as All Blacks captain, the World Cup playoff for third against Wales in November.