mens
international
All black people Head coach Dave Rennie has revealed the talks he had with former captain Scott Barrett before appointing Ardie Save as team captain, after Barrett was named in the upcoming Bledisloe Cup squad.
Rennie’s 34-man squad to take on the Wallabies featured several notable inclusions, with Shannon Frizell and Barrett returning to the All Blacks for the first time in 2026.
Barrett will have a different role under Rennie, returning to an All Blacks environment without a captain. Barrett’s inclusion in the 34-man squad has been squeezed out Blues lock Sam Darry, while Patrick Tuipulotu is also missing but through injury.
I’m talking to New Zealand to the media while in Australia, Rennie explained the situation with Barrett and Save, and how the talks with Barrett went at the start of the international season.
“I think when I was named, I spoke to Scooter (Barrett) a lot, and it was more about how he found the captaincy, the leadership group and a lot of things around that, so he and I talked about where he was at,” Rennie said after naming his 34-man squad.
“I think he was a bit of a reluctant captain, very proud to have done it for his country, and obviously with the injury he ended up with he wasn’t available to play anyway. So, even when I spoke to Scooter, I didn’t tell him that Ardie was going to be captain or anything like that, and we made that appointment quite late.”
The All Blacks head coach gave context to the 89-Test lock’s rehabilitation and how important he will be going forward.
“But look, he’s impressive. He’s obviously excited to be back in the mix, and he’s been working incredibly hard. It’s been frustrating for him because he’s had a bit of time off to try and get his body right and he’s gone and done different things, you know, in the league and the AFL.
“Then obviously he had an issue that set him back a few months, so we’re thrilled to have him back. He brings a lot of experience and he’s a great player. You know, he’s one of the best locks in the world. And that’s why we’re excited to get him back in.”
“And even though he won’t be a team captain, he will be an important part from a leadership perspective for us.”
