Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph has named Jamie Mackintosh as captain of New Zealand’s southern most franchise for the 2011 Super Rugby season.
stuff.co.nz
The big prop replaces All Black scrumhalf Jimmy Cowan in the leadership role after having captained his provincial team Southland for the last three seasons.
While Mackintosh has always impressed at domestic level, he has never stamped his authority at Super Rugby or Test level, and as a consequence has never added to his solitary test cap.
For Mackintosh, it will be essential for the Highlanders to gel as quickly as possible if they are to mount a convincing campaign in the demanding New Zealand conference.
“I think it’s important we get together and create a culture,” he told stuff.co.nz.
The new skipper explained: “We’ve got a lot of guys coming in from out of the region, and it’s important they know what’s expected of a Highlander.”
The powerful front row forward is looking forward to the challenge of leading and getting the best out of the Highlanders squad.
He said: “It’s going to take a while but I think part of my role as captain is to get everybody feeling as comfortable as they can and once they’re comfortable we can get the best out of them. There are a lot of challenges but it’s going to be pretty exciting.
“When Jamie asked me to, it was a real privilege and honour. I think to improve my game I’ve got areas I need to work on and with that comes leadership and responsibility,” he added.
Mackintosh does not think that the Highlanders captaincy will have a negative impact on his chances of adding to his single Test cap this season, and is excited about his partnership with coach Joseph.
“I’m at a stage of my career where I really need to knuckle down and work hard, and I think this is going to benefit my game. It’s not a burden.
“I’m excited about leading this group of guys and I’m really excited about working with Jamie. He seems like a straight shooter,” he said.