Face of the day

> Ardie Savea never campaigned to be All Blacks captain. In fact, it was his reticence that convinced coach Dave Rennie he’d made the right choice. > > Savea, 32, was confirmed as the new All Blacks skipper on Monday at Rennie’s first squad naming, replacing Scott Barrett, who will no longer be captain, even when he returns from injury. > > Rennie said Savea, who he has just finished coaching at Kobe in Japan, isn’t the most loquacious player in the All Blacks, but he’s a natural leader. > > “He’s such a good man. He deeply cares, very experienced, highly respected,” Rennie said. > > “He’s not a massive talker, so he’ll lead through his actions. Certainly our recent time in Kobe, we made him captain for one game and he played through the roof. > > “He’ll do a good job leading the guys, and he’ll lead through his actions.” > > RNZ Read More