Beauden Barrett to captain All Blacks for first time in 149-Test career against Wales

Beauden Barrett will captain the All Blacks in a Test match for the first time in his 149-cap career when New Zealand take on Wales at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday, head coach Dave Rennie has confirmed. The experienced first-five, who has previously captained a side against the Barbarians at Twickenham, described the honour as one that left him with an immediate knot in his stomach.

“It’s a great honour,” Barrett told reporters after a light training session at the Principality Stadium. “Doing it in a Test match in a stadium like this in Wales, such a proud nation — it’s a great opportunity for me, but one that I’m very proud of.”

Barrett will not be alone in the leadership group. His older brother Scott, who has captained the All Blacks on several previous occasions, will support him alongside first-five Richie Mo’unga and centre Anton Lienert-Brown. Given Beauden’s positioning at fullback, which keeps him further from the breakdown, Mo’unga is expected to manage much of the on-field communication with the referee.

“It’s more of the same, really. I’m not going to try and do anything that I haven’t already,” Barrett said. “There’s a bit of distance there at 15, so how I manage that — I might be doing a few more extra shuttles. But I’ve got great support around me.”

Barrett described the moment Rennie informed him of the captaincy on Sunday evening as a rush of mixed emotions. “I straight away had one of those knots in your gut when you get told something that puts you on the edge of your seat. Straight away, it was mixed emotions — excitement, nerves — but yeah, what an opportunity.”

He also revealed that Scott was delighted for him. “He’s super, super stoked. He’s really enjoying the role that he’s playing on this team at the moment, and so is Jordie.”

Rennie made ten changes to the side that convincingly beat Scotland at Murrayfield last weekend, but retained seven starters including both Barrett brothers, Fletcher Newell, Peter Lakai, Wallace Sititi, Quinn Tupaea, and Josh Moorby. The match against Wales is part of the Nations Championship.