Whitelock or Smith in line for captaincy
Sam Whitelock or Ben Smith? The inspirational strongman up front or the cerebral fullback from deep to lead the All Blacks against France in June?
Maybe throw in Sam Cane, who is doing a heck of a job with the injury-ravaged Chiefs, and you have a tight three-way race to be the stand-in All Blacks captain for June, and possibly beyond.
It’s not a decision All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has to make just yet, by any stretch. But it’s one the national supremo is preparing for, with established skipper Kieran Read now looking a growing certainty not to be game ready when France arrive for their threetest series.
Read had back surgery last December to relieve severe discomfort caused by a bulging disc in his back that was pressing on a nerve. The pain forced him to miss the season-ending test in Wales, and ultimately to head under the knife in search of a solution.
It was a serious procedure, similar to that undertaken by golfer Tiger Woods as he searched for a fix for his ongoing back problems, and required a long, deliberate and patient rehabilitation.
The Crusaders have been touting all sorts of optimistic timetables for getting Read back on the paddock by April. But that was never going to happen.
The All Blacks medical team, in conjunction with Read, will be setting the time-frame on this one, and they are very much playing the long game.
Read wants to be at his best for next year’s World Cup in Japan and everything he does between now and then will be undertaken with that in mind.
The 32-year-old No 8, who has played 109 tests in an international career dating back to 2008, understands too well that his third global tournament will present a chance to make some pretty special history.
His legacy is assured with the back-to-back Webb Ellis Cup triumphs and a consummate body of work with the All Blacks. But he has a chance to become part of a select group to win a hat-trick of World Cups, alongside Owen Franks, Sam Whitelock and Sonny Bill Williams, if they can all make it onto the track for Japan.
‘‘He’s making good progress and we’ll just take our time with him — when he’s ready he’ll be ready,’’ Hansen said. ‘‘His body and the medical staff will tell us that, so there’s no point panicking.’’
All of which leaves the All Blacks needing a captain for June and maybe the Rugby Championship that follows soon after.
Four names stand out. Smith was the designated vice-captain behind Read before he took the back part of the 2017 international season off. He is also leading the Highlanders well in Super Rugby, even if he did find himself involved in some controversy last week against the Crusaders when he interrupted a conversion to protest the legitimacy of a try.
Whitelock has also emerged as an outstanding leader with the Crusaders over the last two seasons and was Hansen’s choice against Wales last November when Read was a late defection.
Cane, who leads the Chiefs, also has merit as a similar follow-me type skipper as Whitelock, and has captained the All Blacks twice previously, while Beauden Barrett was given the role in last November’s tour opener against the Barbarians.
Hansen has encouraged Barrett’s growing leadership role within the All Blacks, but given the responsibilities he already carries as the chief navigator, it’s not likely they would look to burden him further.
That leaves Whitelock, Smith and Cane as the three contenders for the role in Read’s absence.
Hansen wouldn’t be pressed on any pecking order at this stage and sees clear strengths in all three of those capable leaders. He’s happy to take a watch-and-wait approach.
There is one school of thought that the All Blacks captain needs to be in the pack, but Hansen has no philosophical issue with Smith potentially taking the role from fullback. The world champions prefer a shared leadership model anyway, with senior figures all pitching in as required.
The highly respected Whitelock shapes as the logical choice, though Smith’s down-to-earth and measured approach could see him emerge as a strong challenger.
It’s likely Cane and Barrett will be left to concentrate on their important roles on the field and within the senior unit.
In terms of Read’s replacement at No 8, the Blues’ mercurial Akira Ioane (said to be close to a major contract extension) and Highlanders hard man Luke Whitelock are frontrunners, though it is understood that Hansen has not ruled out moving Liam Squire there as a short-term fix.
Jordan Taufua could also be an option, with Hansen an admirer of the Crusaders forward’s toughness and work ethic, while usual No 7 Ardie Savea is the other chief contender, with his ball-carrying ability and athleticism offering some intrigue.