Macdonald first up as Auckland skipper

By WYNNE GRAY

Multi-skilled forward Angus Macdonald is the first from Auckland's multiple leadership group to be picked as captain for Sunday's start to the NPC.

With regular skipper Xavier Rush on All Black duty, Macdonald has been chosen as lock and skipper for the match against Bay of Plenty. The side will be announced today.

The Eden Park match will begin Auckland's search for a third successive title and will also double as a defence of the Ranfurly Shield after challenges from Poverty Bay and Counties Manukau.

New Auckland coach Pat Lam said Macdonald reminded him of Waikato and All Black utility forward Jono Gibbes.

"Angus is a good player. He can play either lock or loose-forward, is an 80-minute player, a natural leader and impresses me off the field as well," Lam said.

Macdonald is the first selection under the communal captaincy system that Lam has introduced this season, a scheme which will remain in place even when Auckland and Blues skipper Rush returns from national service.

"We are not picking a captain for the whole year, it is not fair on the team or Rushie," Lam said.

"We have 10 guys out with the All Blacks and there is a lot of uncertainty.

"So all we can do is focus on one game at a time. We have to select the best XV available and then pick a captain out of that. It could be that Angus is captain again next week. There is nothing that says we will rotate the job each week.

"It is flexible and makes sense to the boys in the squad."

Macdonald and Charles Riechelmann led Auckland in their pre-season shield defences and are among the group who will be considered as captains during the year.

After huge victories in their shield defences, Auckland were beaten last week by Wellington in a trial game in Porirua.

"They were tough conditions, but we got a lot from the game. It was a match we needed and we were able to change 11 players at halftime," Lam said.

The only casualty from the original squad of 26 is young lock Cam Jowitt, whose jaw was broken in two places.

Jowitt, along with hooker Derren Witcombe and halfback Steve Devine, will miss the rest of the season.

Lam has based his leadership group on an idea used by his old Northampton coaching mentor Ian McGeechan.

He wanted the leadership spread throughout the team when they played, and shared when they were off the field as well.

The best way to do that was to give a variety of players the responsibility.

"I'm not just here to help players enjoy and develop their rugby, but also help them as people with things such as leadership they can use after rugby."


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