All Blacks’ captain Cane towing the party line: ‘we’re not far off’
THERE have been times this season when Sam Cane resembles a broken man.
The darkest moments as All Blacks skipper come immediately following successive defeats, when Cane must front and the depths of the team’s decline, the overriding disappointment, is impossible to ignore.
Despite the clouds of doom hovering over the All Blacks, Cane continues to believe they are on the cusp of a response.
As the sun drenched the All Blacks training session at St David’s Marist School in Johannesburg yesterday, Cane admitted he felt the weight of a nation to lead the revival in rugby’s toughest assignment, the Springboks at Ellis Park, this weekend.
‘‘You certainly feel it — it’s impossible not to. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t,’’ Cane said. ‘‘Pressure has always been part of being an All Black. Without a doubt it’s extra pressure. You can look to see it as a burden or embrace it and see it as an extra challenge. That’s the only way you can view it.’’
After five losses from their last six tests, few expect the All Blacks to upset the world champion. Written off, then, and with their coach’s tenure hanging by a thread, a case could be made they have nothing to lose. Cane, though, doesn’t buy any such suggestions.
‘‘I’m not seeing it that way at all. There’s a trophy on the line. We’re playing at Ellis Park and we’re desperate to improve and put out better performances than we are. There’s as much on the line as there’s ever been.’’
From their ongoing attacking and catchpass skill struggles in the face of suffocating rush defence to the Springboks’ dominance at the breakdown and superiority under the high ball, the All Blacks appear a long way from rediscovering their best.
Cane, though, reiterated Ian Foster’s polarising view that with a few minor adjustments, the All Blacks can stop the rot.
‘‘I thought we defended really well [last week] considering everything. I don’t think we’re far off. A few people have said it wasn’t an improved performance but in house we’ve looked at a lot of things and there were some definite steps in the right direction. The whole focus is making sure we keep taking those steps because we’re not far off.’’
In the wake of last week’s 2610 defeat at Mbombela Stadium, Cane stood in the sheds and delivered a postmatch message designed to shift the mood of his men from one of frustration to resolve.
‘‘As disappointing and as much as it hurt there’s nowhere else we’d rather be as a team than here and having another crack at them.’’
Amid the barrage of criticism and speculation surrounding a seemingly imminent change of coach, Cane and his leadership group are attempting to keep the team zoned in on the daunting task at hand.
‘‘It’s important to remind the boys what’s important and where to focus their energy and make sure they’re not consumed by outside noise and opinions.’’
▪ South Africa will start with hooker Joseph Dweba in Subday’s match after Bongi Mbonambi withdrew from the side named on Tuesday due to a knee injury picked up in training, Reuters reports.
The severity of the injury is not yet known, but Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber said that, rather than wait on the outcome of scans, they have decided to draft Dweba in for his third test cap. —