When the All Black coaches needed to get stuck into the team they would zero in on Richie McCaw or another of the senior players.
It was a deliberate tactic to reverse the old concept of hammering the newest players in the group.
Longtime five eighths Dan Carter revealed to the Daily Mail that motivational method used by Steve Hansen and his management crew as he looked towards England's Grand Slam bid against France in Paris this weekend.
"The coaches normally pinpoint the captain," he said. "They will make examples of missed tackles or mistakes from the leaders of the team and that sets an amazing example.
"They don't pick on the young guys and that helps them feel like they're equal. It's a great trait.