Connacht head coach Andy Friend has revealed the process that led to Jarrad Butler being appointed the province's new captain as part of a new era at the Sportsground.
After a poor season under Kieran Keane, Friend was installed in May and has brought positivity in the early days of his tenure.
Butler has big shoes to fill in the form of former captain John Muldoon, but Friend has confidence in his man.
"I didn't really know Jarrad until I got here," he told RTÉ Sport.
"Maybe there's a perception that I've come in here, he's the Aussie here so I've just thrown him in. It's certainly not the case. We went through a cultural process with the group and out of that we came out with a set of standard behaviours we want to deliver as a group.
"We then said who currently lives those the best and out of those we selected our leadership group which is a group of six players. Jarrad has been nominated out of that then to be captain.
"Everything about the man I've been impressed with. He is a very, very, very good footballer and instinctively sees the game. It is all the little things he does and gets right. He is the right player to lead Connacht. I think he is going to do it very well."
Friend said he has been encouraged by what he has seen so far, although the acid test will come against Glasgow in their opening game on Saturday week.
He said: "We've been here nearly eight weeks now and everyone has been very welcoming. I've been impressed with the staff and the players and the whole set-up. It has been a positive start.
"There is a lot of talent. I'm enjoying that and their ambition and ability. It's quite a young group that are keen to learn and keen for Connacht to do well. There is a lot of pride in that jersey and the west of Ireland.
"I have views on certain things but it is not the Andy Friend way, it's our collective way. Let’s have a discussion about it. Let’s see what is important to you and important to me.
"Let’s build this together and that is what we've done. Certainly at this point in time it seems to be working.
"The whole thing seems to be moving very fluidly. If we can keep that going for the season it should be a positive one."
