“But I talked to him about how we felt he was the right man for the job and his response in the end was ‘OK, let’s do it.’ He’s a great choice from our perspective.”
For his part, Savea admitted he was caught off guard when Rennie called.
“I was at home when I got the phone call and was half trying to listen to Renz (Rennie) and half trying to cater to my kids who were screaming my name to get them changed or something,” Savea said.
“So I was kind of in between, but got the gist of it and I found some quiet space to talk to him and yeah, we had a conversation and he asked and I said yes.”
Despite being widely tipped as the frontrunner for the role, Savea said the call still came as a surprise.
“You never take it for granted, you just don’t know and to be asked by the All Blacks coach, it’s a huge honour.”
The honour of leading the All Blacks also comes with immense pressure, something Savea readily acknowledged.
The 32-year-old said he would lean on his Christian faith and values to help guide him through the challenges ahead.
“I’m nervous but I’m really excited as well. With me the more pressure, the more responsibility I have, the more I turn to my faith in the Lord and I know special things can happen.”
Savea will not have long to settle into the new role.
The All Blacks begin their season next month with home tests against France, Italy and Ireland, before the six week tour to South Africa, where they will face the world champion Springboks in four tests (the final test is in the US).
Asked what success would look like as captain, Savea first offered the answer expected of any All Blacks skipper.
“Winning, that’s success.”
But he believes leadership is about far more than results alone.
“For me on a deeper level is making sure we connect and build trust as people and as players. If I can walk off the field and someone can say I’ve helped them along the way and made them better, that’s success for me as a human.”
Savea said it’s important players feel “seen” and he’s backing Rennie to install a team culture where everyone is held responsible for the side’s performances.
“One thing I know is that Rens, he will come in and make sure we work hard and he’ll keep us accountable for what we’re saying in meetings and in rooms and in trainings and games. It’s going to be exciting.”
One of the challenges the All Blacks captain faces is bringing together all the different cultures in the squad, which now includes a German, in the form of Blues loose forward Anton Segner.
Savea said it’s something that excites him.
