David Havili is a good player who could still add a bit to the All Blacks

I see that by the “unanimous’’ agreement of the Crusaders’ brains trust, that David Havili is the franchise’s new captain.

And that’s exactly why I rarely care about who’s captain of any team.

These appointments are largely ceremonial and every decision is made by committee.

Now, of course, you can have lame duck captains or guys who are at least perceived to be lame ducks. They’re often those whose place in a side wouldn’t otherwise be assured.

The old campaigner who’s a shadow of their former selves or the company man who’s seen as the teacher’s pet.

In a Crusaders context Sam Whitelock was the leader of that team for years. Whether it was Kieran Read as captain, Whitelock himself or Scott Barrett, the guy whose presence, opinion and performances mattered most was Whitelock.

I like Havili. I think he’s a good player, who could still add a bit to the All Blacks.

It’s a misnomer to describe the All Blacks’ midfield as a combination or partnership. Jordie Barrett and Rieko Ioane are ships in the night, meaning there’s no hope of any creativity coming from that part of the paddock.

They both carry hard when they’re required to, but they’re basically working on an individual basis. They’re certainly not facilitators for those outside them.

Havili could be, but I doubt he’ll ever get another serious crack at a playmaking role with the All Blacks.

That’s an aside. What’s of more interest to me is the cult of the captain.

Scott Barrett, the All Blacks captain, remains an integral member of the Crusaders squad, while Codie Taylor was said to be another candidate to lead the side.

You can assume a variety of others, from Tom Christie and Ethan Blackadder, to Will Jordan and Mitchell Drummond will also be part of every decision-making process on or off the field.

So why do we care who’s captain? This isn’t cricket, for instance, where the skipper still appears to be the dominant party.

This is rugby with guys in fluorescent bibs relaying instructions from the coaching box every other minute.

Other than media and corporate stuff, where is it that a rugby captain actually leads? Is it deciding whether to kick off or which end they want to start at? What?

According to Crusaders coach Rob Penney, the team’s leaders all believed Havili was the right man for the job. It’s almost as if Penney and Havili were peripheral figures in the process.

For better or worse, rugby teams are run by consensus, which is why the identity of the designated captain really isn’t that important.

I wish Havili well and recognise that it must be an honour to be the full-time captain of such a storied franchise.

But to linger on my point that we overplay the significance of captaincy, Havili’s success won’t be measured in how he conducts himself or even how he plays. It’ll come down to whether the Crusaders can win the Super Rugby Pacific title or not.

That’s because rugby is about the collective competence of the group, not the identity of the bloke who runs out first.