Chiefs plan to ease workload on Cane
The Chiefs are set to revert to a cocaptaincy model for their 2021 Super Rugby season in order to ease the workload on All Blacks skipper Sam Cane.
Fresh off a first year in charge of the national side, Cane is still going to lead the Chiefs, but is set to be relieved of sole responsibility, as the franchise goes back to its familiar dual-leader model.
After eight years of co-captains, Warren Gatland decided to move away from it in his first year in charge in 2020, when he gave Cane full responsibility last season.
But, with Cane having since been elevated to the All Blacks captaincy as well, interim Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan told Stuff they had to be wary of not overburdening their talismanic openside flanker, so are looking to promote another leader.
‘‘Sam will still be the captain . . . but what we want to do is give him some support, not just around the on-field stuff, but the off-field stuff,’’ McMillan said.
‘‘Captaincy can be a big weight to carry on one person’s shoulders. So if we can get some common agreement on who that other person might be, then that’s certainly the motivation, to have co-captains.
‘‘It’s not something that’s entirely foreign to the Chiefs, and they’ve had good success doing that in the past.’’
The concept was initiated by Dave Rennie when he arrived for the 2012 season, with Liam Messam and Craig Clarke coskippering two title-winning campaigns.
From then on it continued, with Messam and Aaron Cruden leading the following two years, before Cane stepped up alongside Cruden for 2016 and 2017, then Colin Cooper kept the shared model in having Charlie Ngatai (2018) then Brodie Retallick (2019) alongside Cane.
But with the All Blacks job being an allconsuming affair, it has become commonplace for the national skipper to give up leadership duties at Super Rugby level.
The Crusaders haven’t been ones to opt for co-captains, so Kieran Read relieved Richie McCaw of the role in 2014 and 2015, then after his first season as New Zealand captain, Read was replaced by Sam Whitelock as skipper for 2017-19.
McMillan labelled Cane ‘‘the heart and soul’’ of the Chiefs and noted that the captaincy was merely just a title, with the 29-year-old undoubtedly going to have a significant impact in any case. But, even accounting for the likes of promotions and media duties, there is plenty behind the scenes that goes with being skipper all before leading a team for 80 minutes.
‘‘There’s even just meetings within our own environment, we have attack drivers, we have defence drivers, we have entertainment committees, we have leadership groups, we have all sorts,’’ McMillan said.
‘‘If we want guys to be performing at their best there has to be a good balance between the on-field and off-field commitments. And if we’re sharing that load it will probably give him a better chance of achieving success.’’
With it common for a forward-back split in the co-captaincy, All Blacks Brad Weber and Anton Lienert-Brown loom as prime candidates, though McMillan even noted they may look at someone who’s not even a regular starter, to have someone who’s likely always on the park at the end of a game.
A decision will still likely be a few weeks away, with February 1 the date Super Rugby clubs welcome back their All Blacks, who are allowed to play 40 minutes of one pre-season match.
Like last year, the Chiefs have just one pre-season fixture scheduled – a game of three halves against the Hurricanes and
Blues in Wellington on February 13. They will then have a couple of inter-squad hitouts ahead of the competition proper, which sees them with a bye in the first round then opening at home against the Highlanders on March 5.
The squad have been back training since last Thursday, with the gruelling bronco fitness test first up, where McMillan revealed there were plenty of personal bests and that the top time went to Sean Wainui.
The 25-year-old winger headed off new halfback Xavier Roe over the last 50-odd metres, coming in around 10 seconds behind the impressive publicised time of 4min 16sec recorded by the Blues’ Jonathan Ruru.
‘‘Sean’s been really impressive,’’ McMillan said. ‘‘He always is. Every time
I’ve had anything to do with him, he’s been a real pro. And when you consider he’s carrying about 104 kilos...’’
McMillan was able to report a largely fit squad, though the bad luck continues for young lock Laghlan McWhannell, who, after missing the last two seasons, is set to play a limited part in Super Rugby Aotearoa, at least, due to needing further surgery for a knee issue.