Decline of the All Blacks captain

Read lay on the ground, held together by bandages.

Four seconds later, and that is a long time in sport, Ireland’s switch move arrived back in front of Read. Stockdale chipped ahead. But Read wasn’t there. Read was still on his knees and looking back when Stockdale touched down for the try. It seemed a symbolic moment.

Now five years ago I believe that Read would have struggled back to his feet and stopped that

play. But those injuries have slowed him down. How could they not? And so for the second time in the match the All Blacks saw their captain on his knees as Ireland jigged to the seething melody of the home crowd.

The fourth and final moment came when the All Blacks looked to save the game in the final ten minutes. Richie Mo’unga threw a quite brilliant long pass off his left hand to his captain. Read was in his 22 with Ben Smith and

Anton Lienert-Brown on his outside in support. Only Jonny Sexton stood in front of the New Zealanders.

Five years ago Read would have surged and passed and the All Blacks would have been away. But Read lumbered. He went for the inside gap. Iain Henderson came across, made the tackle and darn near turned the ball over. It was a terrible decision by the captain. And it made you wonder.

Don’t get me wrong, Read is still a magnificent defender. He was one of the All Blacks’ best against Ireland. But as an attacking force he is but a shadow of his former self. And don’t think that his team won’t have noticed all of this.

They will see Michael Leitch, born in Burwood, Christchurch and three years younger than Read, captaining Japan and running rampant against England. They will see Leitch’s raging athleticism and remember that Read used to do that sort of thing.

When talking about the captaincy of a rugby team, the great Fred Allen said that the twin bases of success are respect and loyalty. He believed that a good team was a thinking team. And All Blacks fans, even All Blacks players, will be looking at Read and starting to wonder.

They will see the bandages. They will see the teeth starting to fall out. They will look at all that Sam Whitelock has achieved with the Crusaders. They will look at drop goals not taken, tiffs with refs, penalties given away. And because they are only human, they will start to wonder. They will wonder if the right man is in charge.

And that is the beginning of the end.

GETTY IMAGES Ireland brought Kieran Read quite literally to his knees during their famous win at Dublin at the weekend, a symbol that a once magnificent player is nothing like the player he used to be. Beside him is All Blacks doctor Tony Page.