All Blacks captain Kieran Read has been hailed by assistant coach Ian Foster, after possibly having worn the black jersey for the last time.
Following Saturday's 19-7 Rugby World Cup semi-final defeat to England, the All Blacks can now only hope for bronze in 2019, taking on Wales on Friday night in Tokyo.
With coach Steve Hansen already hinting at a rotated squad for the third placed playoff, it's entirely possible that Saturday night was Read's last Test match, the captain leaving for Japanese side Toyota Verblitz from next year.
Fronting media today, assistant coach Foster paid tribute to Read, only behind Richie McCaw and Keven Mealamu for most All Blacks Tests played.
"He has been, and still remains, a very special leader of this group," Foster began.
"One thing that you want is the respect of the people that you go out to war with, and he does that. He's got a group that are just really prepared to follow him.
"[He's] a smart, intelligent rugby player, who's changed his game over the years, according to where he's at with his body. He's added to his skill sets and learned as he's gone along."
Read currently also sits level with McCaw for the most tries by an All Blacks forward, both having crossed over 27 times in their careers.
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