England have named Lawrence Dallaglio as captain for the pre-Christmas series of internationals against Australia, New Zealand (twice) and South Africa which will be played on successive weeks from November 15th.
But the Wasps flanker will be on probation in his new role and, should he fail to live up to the expectations of the England management, the captaincy could pass on to another player, probably Martin Johnson, this summer's Lions skipper.
Dallaglio, who is 25, has not been appointed for a specific period nor have the management told him he can expect to lead England into the 1999 World Cup.
Normally the Rugby Football Union name a captain for a minimum of one season with an option to renew the appointment but so far Dallaglio, in common with other members of the England squad has not signed a contract with the RFU.
"It is wrong to put long term plans in place regarding the captaincy," said Clive Woodward, the England coach, who made it clear that Dallaglio's tenure would depend on his fitness and form being satisfactory from game to game.
The contrast between Dallaglio's conditions of employment and those of Will Carling, who was in charge for an occasionally bumpy eight-and-a-half years, could not be more vivid. Dallaglio's immediate predecessor, Phil de Glanville, who said recently it was time for a new man to take over, had already publicly endorsed the Wasps skipper for the job.
Dallaglio, who has won 11 caps in the past two years, is less experienced than say, Tim Rodber, Jason Leonard or Johnson who has 30 caps, which may be one reason why the management have decided to keep their options open for the time being.
Woodward explained that Dallaglio and Johnson had been the chief candidates for the job because, on current form, they are both certain of a place in the England team to play Australia. He hinted though that the Test side may not be announced for another two weeks because of a spate of niggling injuries in his 28-man squad which had a day-long training session at Bisham Abbey yesterday.
The installation of Dallaglio as captain was a low key affair compared to the fanfare of trumpets that greeted the appointment of de Glanville at Twickenham a year ago. "I believe the job of captain has been given exaggerated importance," declared Woodward who has frequently insisted the captaincy could rotate among senior players.
"Martin (Johnson) was an outstanding candidate and, if we need him he is there as a ready made leader." Dallaglio, who had a highly successful Lions tour to South Africa under Johnson's leadership, will have an informal say in the selection of the England team. "Lawrence may not sit in at a selectors table discussing the names of players but he will be consulted," explained Woodard. "I would not want him to take a team out on to the pitch that he wasn't happy with - that would be foolhardy."
Dallaglio can expect to boost his earnings by around £150,000 a year from the spin-off in marketing and advertising opportunities that go with the captaincy. Given his popularity and telegenic good looks he may even become a high profile sporting millionaire within three or four years provided he hangs on to the job. In the current climate that means England must keep winning.
Nevertheless, the new England skipper is guarded about his prospects of leading the team into the next World Cup, let alone winning the tournament. "That's a decision for the management - the important thing is for the team to play well," he said.
"I'm delighted to be given the opportunity to captain England and I won't hide the fact that we want to win the games coming up next month. There is no point in looking beyond that - I'm not even thinking of the Five Nations. I would like to think I lead by example but I believe winning Tests is mainly about collective responsibility. We need to maximise our potential and play with intensity. New Zealand, whom we meet twice, are top of the ladder and I think their captain Sean Fitzpatrick has had a tremendous influence on getting them there."
