Beauden Barrett has said being appointed captain of New Zealand for the world champions' opener against the Barbarians at Twickenham on Saturday was "beyond my wildest imagination". This weekend's clash, in front of an expected crowd of more than 60,000, will, remarkably, represent the first time that Barrett has captained a rugby team at any level. For the 26-year-old, it also marks his first match since he went off with concussion during the first half of the All Blacks' thrilling 25-24 Rugby Championship win over South Africa in Cape Town last month. "It is the first-ever team I've captained, so for it to be the All Blacks a big challenge for me," said Barrett. Asked if it had been a dream to captain his country, the 59-times capped Barrett replied: "Never, no. This is well beyond my wildest imagination."

Source: AFP