Booth officially named Dermody as captain on 24 August

London Irish head coach Toby Booth has said a change in captaincy was needed to help energise and develop leadership qualities within the side.

Booth has handed the job to Clarke Dermody, who will replace the skipper of three years Bob Casey.

"A change in personnel sometimes is required to add freshness and help the team evolve," Booth told BBC Berkshire.

"This way we do not rely on one person and can develop greater leadership amongst more players."

Booth is confident prop Dermody is the right choice for captain and will bring a new approach to leadership.

"Clarke Dermody is a person that epitomises what I want out of a captain," said Booth.

"He will say things that need to be said, he's probably not going to be as vocal as Bob, but he will lead by example and will do a fantastic job as captain."

While Casey is no longer the official captain of the side, Booth says he still has an important role as a senior player to guide the side.

"Bob has a massive leadership role in this team and will continue to do so," added Booth.

"His expertise will be used in a slightly different area which is more in the week than on game-day."

Booth also feels Casey's individual performance will improve without the responsibility of captaincy.

"At times Bob's had a lot of burden to carry which has meant his performances have suffered," he said.

"Now, he can solely concentrate on being a player and improving his own play."

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version