Colin Meads: Umaga better when not captain

COMMENT

The NPC has shown Tana Umaga's true colours. His return to the Wellington team proved what a versatile and valuable team man he is - and that he's better off when he is not captain.

Tana played with renewed urgency and it was because he was a free agent. Ironically, his absence from the Wellington side has helped them unveil a captain of considerable promise. No 8 Rodney So'ialo has been in and out of the All Blacks but he's really stepped up with the captaincy and not a lot of players can do that.

For others captaincy is a burden and I think Tana falls into this group.

It's obvious flanker Richie McCaw is being groomed as All Black captain and you'll probably find his elevation to the Canterbury captaincy is driven by the national selectors.

As long as he can handle that job and the selectors intend to eventually make him All Black captain, they might as well do it now rather than wait for a year or so.

Captains are born, not made. I didn't mind captaining provincial and club sides but at All Black level it's another game.

Tana's a real competitor and an effective leader in his own right but instead of getting the team to fix things up, he tries to fix them up himself. He's a rip, shit or bust kind of player but, at test level, you also want someone who can analyse.

Age shouldn't be a factor for McCaw, who's 23. Wilson Whineray was All Black captain at the age of 22 - he was a leader of men and a natural captain.

Wilson was the perfect captain - a nice guy who everyone followed and he blossomed with age. He was a good speaker and had the great knack of mixing effortlessly in all sorts of company, from royalty to the average guy on the street. I always looked up to him.

Tana has mana but it's the manner in which he plays under pressure that makes me doubt whether he is the ideal man to captain the All Blacks.

The way the NPC is going it's looking like a Wellington vs Canterbury final so a classic Umaga vs McCaw leadership battle is in store.

They are the figureheads of their teams. McCaw's return to Canterbury has been crucial and while there was no hurry for Umaga to return to a midfield operating so well with Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith, he has stamped his class and is far from a spent force at test level.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY