Rugby: All Blacks flanker Dalton Papalii embracing Blues captaincy for Super Rugby

Dalton Papalii was today named Blues captain for the new Super Rugby season. Photo / Getty

Nerves and pride were Dalton Papalii's immediate emotions after being anointed to captain the Blues this season.

With Patrick Tuipulotu on his one-season Japanese sabbatical, Blues coach Leon MacDonald has preferred Papalii ahead of other captaincy candidates Beauden Barrett and Tom Robinson.

When MacDonald called Papalii into Blues HQ early from his summer break to ask him to skipper the team, the 24-year-old was initially taken aback but he did not shy away from the challenge.

"I'm extremely grateful for the armband," Papalii said. "To be honest I was a bit nervous when Rangi [MacDonald] first told me but I see this as an opportunity for me to grow, not just on the footy field but as a man off the field as well. The good thing is there's a lot of other leaders I can lean on. I'm still talking to Paddy in Japan and getting some tips off him.

"Age doesn't really matter - I feel I've got the experience to lead these boys. I don't want to speak when I don't need to. I want to rely on the other experienced boys to cover their areas of the field and go and do my thing."

Papalii won't lead the Blues in their first preseason hit out against the Hurricanes in Wellington on Sunday as the All Blacks are gradually reintegrated into the squad.

When Papalii accepts the leadership mantle for the opening match against Moana Pasifika, though, MacDonald knows he will set the benchmark with his typically relentless actions.

While young, Papalii has been in the Blues for four years and is a bolted-on starter in the No 7 jersey, having made a notable impression in that role for the All Blacks last year. His performances against Wales and Ireland in particular confirmed he would be a regular presence at test level for many years to come.

"Dalton has been a leader in our squad for a few years," MacDonald said. "Although he's pretty young he's been around for a while. He gets what this team is about – he's very passionate about the Blues. He plays with his heart every week and what he says he goes out and does it. As a team we're trying to make sure we front every week, and that's one of Dalton's big strengths."

Papalii led the Blues once last season in Tuipulotu's injury absence – in the defeat to the Crusaders in Christchurch. His biggest takeaway from that testing experience was how to navigate the responsibility of speaking with referees.

"Probably being calm on the field. Sometimes me and the ref don't agree so it's about building that relationship, making sure I'm not on the wrong side of his decisions and not arguing with them; actually having a conversation. That's the biggest lesson I took out of that."

After claiming the transtasman title last year MacDonald is well aware the Blues have a target on the back but he is imploring his team to embrace the weight of expectation as they depart for the Queenstown bubble.

"We've got to play like that is the case. If we want to be a championship-winning team you've got to learn to play as favourites and not get ahead of ourselves. At times we've got caught out there so we've got to make sure we don't get distracted by those sorts of things.

"We've had a lot of adversity in the last 12 months so this is an opportunity to make sure we do play so everyone is excited about that."