Savea at seven shakes up Canes
The All Blacks captaincy and No 7 jersey is vacant after Sam Cane’s injury, but Ardie Savea says he’ll go where he’s put.
EVERY All Blacks rugby fan has an opinion on Ardie Savea’s best numbered jersey.
Except, for now, the man himself, as he focuses on hauling up his Hurricanes against the Crusaders wearing No 7.
Savea leads out the 1-4 Canes at Sky Stadium today against the competition leaders, in the jersey in which he shot to prominence, and where plenty of learned rugby types will tell you he’s best suited for the All Blacks.
Especially with captain Sam Cane out until July at the earliest with a torn pectoral muscle, leaving Savea as a candidate to also win the captaincy, for scheduled July tests against Italy and Fiji.
Coach Jason Holland named Savea at openside flanker for just the second time this season, in a bulked-up loose trio with Devan Flanders at No 8, and fetcher Du’Plessis Kirifi to be unleashed off the bench. Holland said he still favoured Savea at eight for his carrying ability, but this was a selection to face the Crusaders.
Savea said: ‘‘Whatever the coach says, goes. He wants me at seven, I didn’t ask why. Just sweet, get on with it.’’
Ask which position he believes he’s more effective in – openside or No 8 – and Savea won’t go there.
‘‘I don’t even think of it like that . . . as long as I’m on the field and doing my job and playing well then whatever position that may be, I don’t say I’m better suited at eight or seven, I just try and go out and nail my bit in the team so it can function.’’
Back in March, before Cane’s injury, Savea told Sky TV’s Breakdown show: ‘‘At this stage in my career I’d love to make a stamp on a position, stay there and try to dominate that.
‘‘You’ve got to be honest, you have the skip [Cane] playing at seven, so obviously that has to be eight. I’ve accepted that and I’ll try to move forward into that position and nail the skillset and focus on that position.’’
Asked about those comments yesterday, Savea said: ‘‘It hasn’t changed at all. I was meaning that more for internationals, but within the Canes, it’s whatever goes, wherever the coaches want me.’’
Options facing All Blacks coach Ian Foster are to stick with Savea at eight, and promote Dalton Papalii to seven after some compelling performances for the Blues. But there’s also Hoskins Sotutu putting a strong case for the eight jersey which he wore in the 43-5 hammering of the Wallabies in Sydney in October.
Savea said he’d had no contact with Foster or other All Blacks’ coaches.
‘‘I’m really focused on the Hurricanes, especially with the little slump we’re going through right now.
‘I’m really focused on the Hurricanes, especially with the little slump we’re going through right now.’ ARDIE SAVEA
‘‘My mind’s been on how to get this team going and how we can function as a team and start getting results.’’
Last Saturday was so near yet so far against the Blues, who won 27-17 against a Hurricanes team who struggled to fire a shot, and were rocked by Savea’s incorrect yellow carding before halftime when he entered a maul legally and conceded a penalty try.
He had to bite his tongue afterwards.
‘‘It is difficult, us players have responsibility and also the officials have responsibility. Sometimes it is frustrating, after a game they say they got it wrong and it’s a crucial call in the game.
‘‘That’s what it is in footy and the officials are going out there to do their best for the game. We’ve just got to live with it, move on and try and not get ourselves in that position to potentially get cards and penalties.’’
Discipline is a key focus, again, with the Hurricanes having conceded six yellow cards, double that of the second-placed Highlanders.
In round two the Hurricanes headed south and lost 33-16 to the Crusaders, but last year toppled them in Christchurch amid a fivematch winning streak.
‘‘We all know the answer is within our team, and we need to look at ourselves and nail our job for the full 80. We haven’t looked back. We know if we can turn up and try and stick with the Crusaders we’ll have a good chance.’’
And, with a new general in No 10 Ruben Love, just short of his 20th birthday, who takes over for his run-on debut. ‘‘There’s been a lot of talk around him and I don’t want to hype him too much and add pressure. Any player that comes in for the first time, I’m just going to encourage them.’’