Alun Wyn Jones has revealed how privileged he feels to captain Wales against Italy in Rome on 14 March.
The 23-year-old lock takes over the Wales leadership from Ospreys' team-mate Ryan Jones, who has been relegated to the bench in Italy.
Jones, who captains a side showing 10 changes from the defeat to France, says being skipper is still sinking in.
"I'm still getting used to it to be honest. It's an honour and a privilege," said Jones.
"I know they sound like clichéd words you hear newly-appointed captains using all the time but it does really mean a great deal.
"To be honest I didn't really have an inkling that I was going to be asked. I was just fingers crossed that I was going to be selected in the side.
"Alun Wyn Jones as captain has a nice ring to it. The immediate feeling when I heard [I was captain] was emotional. I had to keep it all in.
If we could do it it could mean more to us than the Grand Slam that we have turned things around
Wales skipper Alun Wyn Jones
"To be captain now is a step up. My initial aim as a child was to simply represent my country but to represent my country and have an arm band has surpassed all expectation."
Jones, who will be Wales' 127th captain, insists he will attempt to lead from the front in the Stadio Flaminio as Wales attempt to bounce back from the 21-16 defeat in Paris last month.
"I call a spade a spade and I'll be as honest with myself and the players around me," claimed the 29-times capped second row.
"[Italy] is not going to be an easy place to play. It was a very hard pill to take after France.
"We didn't get so much pattern in the first 60 minutes and then the last 10 minutes we had four or five opportunities where we might have scored if we had greater patience in the strike zone.
"But moving forward it's not going to be difficult really to raise our game or mental attitude because we feel we have got a lot to prove.
"If we should win the championship - it's a big if as Ireland are 23 points ahead [points difference] but if we could do it it could mean more to us than the Grand Slam that we have turned things around."
Wales coach Warren Gatland claims he is still content with Ryan Jones as a lead but needs to look at an alternative and Alun Wyn Jones has been handed the job in Rome because of his attitude.
"I'm more than happy in the way that Ryan has captained the team so far, I've publicly stated that and commented on Ryan having significantly developed as a captain," Gatland said.
"But again it's a chance for us to look at someone else: if Ryan is perhaps injured or does lose form what are our options going forward?
"Alun Wyn Jones has a huge amount of respect, he's one of the players that, when I first came in as coach, he'd already earned that respect from the players in terms of his work ethic, his play, his honesty.
"For me this is a chance to see someone who may, in a few years, be a future Wales captain and I think it's a great opportunity.
"Seeing what a good job he's doing... we just felt he was able to handle the pressure of being able to call the line-outs and handle that but also given that responsibility of captaincy too."
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