Read writes glorious new chapter in story of All Blacks leaders
Lions have to find a way past the ferocious New Zealand captain to level Test series
Richie Mccaw’s retirement in 2015 felt like an act of mercy for the rest of world rugby. But then up stepped Kieran Read, who wrote “an awesome chapter in the history of his leadership” against the Lions last weekend, in the words of his back-row partner, Jerome Kaino.
Captaining New Zealand is often called an alt-version of the prime ministership: a symbolic, unifying role, rooted in national legend. The All Black leader binds countryside and city, majesty and machismo. And since the back-to-back World Cup wins of 2011 and 2015, the captain bears an intimidating burden to maintain the top-down leadership exemplified by Mccaw, who appeared in 148 Tests – 110 as captain.
Look deeper and you see that Mccaw led a core of leaders, with Dan Carter and Kaino among them. But from Sean Fitzpatrick through Mccaw and on to Read, the All Black captaincy has acquired quasi-political heft. When Read signed a two-year deal tying him to the All Blacks until the 2019 World Cup, he was reported to be the first All Black to break the Nz$1million (£570,000) salary barrier.
Against the Lions in Auckland on Saturday you could see why. Read, the 2013 world player of the year, had not started for eight weeks. He was returning from a broken thumb that was preceded by a wrist injury. Any hopes the Lions may have had that he would be tentative in the No8 position were shredded by a ferocious performance.
“He was desperate to play well and lead from the front,” said Wyatt Crockett, the All Black prop. “I’m not surprised. He’s an unreal player and an unreal leader. But it was pretty impressive to see him get out there and play the way he did. It was inspiring for the rest of us.”
Read’s animating effect was palpable as he led the All Black pack to a departmental victory over their Lions counterparts. So engrossed was he in the task that he seemed to resent coming off with five minutes left. “He might be a bit grumpy with me because he played 75 minutes, which wasn’t too bad after seven weeks’ holiday,” said Steve Hansen, the head coach. “To be the All Blacks captain you have to have a lot of character and courage and be a fierce warrior. Richie showed that over a number of years, previous captains have done that, and now it’s Reado’s turn. There was no hesitation to ask him to step up and play because that’s what All Blacks captains do.”
This inflating of the captain’s authority serves Hansen’s purpose, a decade or so on from a phase in All Black history when decadence and self-absorption seemed to be taking hold. But Read is no mere figurehead. He will earn his 99th cap in Wellington this weekend. His 100th, in Auckland at the end of the series, will lift him into a small club of centurions, with