Cane ignores the conjecture and gets on with the job
‘‘Sammy is a guy that sometimes doesn’t get the credit for what he does.’’ Steve Hansen on Sam Cane
Sam Cane made a few points, 25 to be precise, when the All Blacks humbled the Wallabies in Sydney last week.
On those occasions when rugby types ruminate on all things about the sport, the topic of whether Cane should wear the No 7 jersey through to the 2019 World Cup in Japan has the potential to generate a lively chat around the mugs and milk.
To steal the phrase often used by Sonny Bill Williams about himself, Cane isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
This is something All Blacks coach Steve Hansen is aware of. The day after his side’s 54-34 win over the Wallabies in Sydney, Hansen was asked to give his view of the performance by openside flanker Cane who had executed 25 tackles (missed two) during an 80-minute shift at ANZ Stadium.
‘‘Sammy is a guy that sometimes doesn’t get the credit for what he does,’’ Hansen said. ‘‘He is a very physical athlete, he is a big strong man and his workrate is phenomenal.’’
You would hope there is some rough and tumble among the selectors when the gather to pick squads, and that such meetings are not just an exercise in finding a quick consensus, because the topic of who wears the No 7 for the national side is often worthy of a discussion.
The fact Cane was first blooded at test level in 2012, and marked as a project player to take over from Richie Mccaw when he retired after the 2015 World Cup, clearly gives him a healthy lead on challengers Ardie Savea and Matt Todd ahead of the next global tournament in Japan in 2019.
At just 25 years, Cane has a heap of miles left on the clock. A big man who stands almost 1.9m tall and looks at least several kilos bigger than the 106kg he is listed at in the official media guide, he can be a destructive force in the tackle.
A combination of leg drive and upper-body strength provides him with the grunt to give opposition ball carriers a taste of the bad medicine, knocking them into an awkward position to allow the All Blacks’ jackals to feed on the ball.
Since starting his career with the Crusaders in 2011, Todd has struggled to gain much traction at the top level and that doesn’t go down terribly well among many of his support base who live north of the Waitaki River and south of Cook Strait.
Following his test debut against France in 2013, he has been rewarded with just eight caps; his finest moment was when he was named player of the match in the All Blacks’ 37-10 victory over the Wallabies in Auckland last year.
Todd, arguably the best No 7 in Super Rugby, was outstanding during the playoffs series as the Crusaders upset the Lions in the final in Johannesburg.
He picked his moments for when to dig for turnovers to perfection, and his defence was spot on.
Savea has gathered 17 test caps in the last two seasons, making just three starts. He is clearly marked as impact player, able to use his energy levels and acceleration to add power as the All Blacks aim to finish games at a hectic pace in a bid to send opponents over the edge.
Yet if Cane is struck down by injury, Todd, as was the case last year, may leapfrog Savea into the openside flanker spot.
Until that happens the position remains in the care of Cane. The All Blacks’ opponents may change, but the face in the No 7 jersey is set to stay the same.