The response that convinced All Blacks coach Dave Rennie he'd chosen the right captain

Ardie Savea never campaigned to be All Blacks captain. In fact, it was his reticence that convinced coach Dave Rennie he'd made the right choice.

Savea, 32, was confirmed as the new All Blacks skipper on Monday at Rennie's first squad naming, replacing Scott Barrett, who will no longer be captain, even when he returns from injury.

Rennie said Savea, who he has just finished coaching at Kobe in Japan, isn't the most loquacious player in the All Blacks, but he's a natural leader.

"He's such a good man. He deeply cares, very experienced, highly respected," Rennie said.

"He's not a massive talker, so he'll lead through his actions. Certainly our recent time in Kobe, we made him captain for one game and he played through the roof.

"He'll do a good job leading the guys, and he'll lead through his actions."

Rennie said Savea was humble and unassuming when he called to ask him to take on the role and was quick to make it clear he wouldn't be upset if someone else was chosen as skipper.

"I'd spoken to him previously, and in his Pasifika manner, his response was 'I'm happy to support whatever decision you make and I'll support anyone you make captain.'

"But I talked to him about how we felt he was the right man for the job and his response in the end was 'OK, let's do it.' He's a great choice from our perspective."

For his part, Savea admitted he was caught off guard when Rennie called.

"I was at home yesterday when I got the phone call and was half trying to listen to Renz (Rennie) and half trying to cater to my kids who were screaming my name to get them changed or something," Savea said.

"So I was kind of in between, but got the gist of it and I found some quiet space to talk to him and yeah, we had a conversation and he asked and I said yes."

Despite being widely tipped as the frontrunner for the role, Savea said the call still came as a surprise.

"You never take it for granted, you just don't know and to be asked by the All Blacks coach, it's a huge honour."

The honour of leading the All Blacks also comes with immense pressure, something Savea readily acknowledged.

The 32-year-old said he would lean on his Christian faith and values to help guide him through the challenges ahead.

"I'm nervous but I'm really excited as well. With me the more pressure, the more responsibility I have, the more I turn to my faith in the Lord and I know special things can happen."

Savea will not have long to settle into the new role.

The All Blacks begin their season next month with home tests against France, Italy and Ireland, before the six week tour to South Africa, where they will face the world champion Springboks in four tests (the final test is in the US).

Asked what success would look like as captain, Savea first offered the answer expected of any All Blacks skipper.

"Winning, that's success."

But he believes leadership is about far more than results alone.

"For me on a deeper level is making sure we connect and build trust as people and as players. If I can walk off the field and someone can say I've helped them along the way and made them better, that's success for me as a human."

Savea said it's important players feel "seen" and he's backing Rennie to install a team culture where everyone is held responsible for the side's performances.

"One thing I know is that Rens, he will come in and make sure we work hard and he'll keep us accountable for what we're saying in meetings and in rooms and in trainings and games. It's going to be exciting."

One of the challenges the All Blacks captain faces is bringing together all the different cultures in the squad, which now includes German, in the form of Blues loose forward Anton Segner.

Savea said it's something that excites him.

"It's a beautiful thing. I think when people come together under one goal that they're trying to achieve and you embrace the people and their stories and their testimonies, it can be a beautiful thing.

"Whether you're brown, white, whatever, we're all Pacific and we're from the Pacific.

"The Pacific Ocean connects us all. I guess the next 17 months is about us, not only the team, but the country and people coming together and trying to win."

Savea's influence is already evident among the next generation coming through the All Blacks.

Prop Xavier Numia is one of four debutants named in the squad and previously played under Savea when he captained the Hurricanes.

Numia, who also has Samoan heritage, described the new skipper as an inspiration.

"His leadership, I know everyone knows what he's capable of on the field, but ... his off field ability to lead boys and make boys feel welcome is a big one for me," Numia said.

While his focus now shifts to the All Blacks, Savea has also been keeping a close eye on developments at Moana Pasifika from afar.

The former Moana captain spent this season playing in Japan and watched from overseas as the franchise was placed into liquidation, leaving its future uncertain.

Savea said it had been difficult to watch unfold.

"I've been in Japan while everything's been happening, but I'm just so proud of the boys to be able to turn up each week and obviously even put in a performance in their last game [a win over the Brumbies in Canberra].

"I don't know where Moana is, but if there's a one percent chance [they will survive] I'll take that. We'll just have to wait and see."