All Blacks tackle big issues
Sam Cane isn’t fearful of French retribution.
The All Blacks flanker was involved in a tackle during last week’s 52-11 win in Auckland that left France wing Remy Grosso with two facial fractures. Cane escaped a card of any sort while Grosso’s tour ended immediately.
The two teams reconvene at Wellington’s Westpac Stadium tomorrow, where Cane won’t be looking over his shoulder.
‘‘I hadn’t even thought of it until you said it there. I don’t mind anyway,’’ Cane said yesterday.
After all, it’s not in the nature of international teams to get headhunting on behalf of an injured teammate.
‘‘I think they’ll look to come out and improve on their performance [and] I’d be surprised if they were fuelled by something like that,’’ said Cane.
‘‘I don’t think we really would as a team, ourselves. We’d be focusing on how we can get aspects of our game better, to put out a better performance scoreboard-wise.’’
It wasn’t so much that Grosso was hurt last Saturday that upset people, particularly in Britain by the looks, but that Cane and team-mate Ofa Tu’ungafasi, who was the other man in the tackle, weren’t yellow or redcarded.
That was especially in light of a tackle on Ryan Crotty just prior, for which France lock Paul Gabrillagues was sinbinned. Gabrillagues appeared to collect Crotty around the chest, but the way the All Black’s head rocked back suggested the contact had been higher.
‘‘I can’t really remember, to be honest. I just got up and got on with the next job,’’ Crotty said yesterday.
He certainly wasn’t trying to ‘‘sell’’ the incident as dangerous, to referee Luke Pearce.
‘‘I remember getting dominated. Like he dominated me in the tackle. I just got rag [dolled],’’ said Crotty.
‘‘I was probably a bit disappointed that I didn’t get enough of a weak shoulder to dominate my carry. I can’t really comment on the ref’s decision. Yeah, I’ll leave it there.’’
The closest the All Blacks came to sanction was on Wednesday, when World Rugby issued a warning to Tu’ungafasi. Hardly prompt, but they are based in Dublin.
‘‘Oh no, not surprised,’’ All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said, when asked about the seeming delay. ‘‘It takes a while for things to get over there. Long way away.’’
On a more serious note, Cane reiterated that the All Blacks are working very hard to keep tackles down and not incur the wrath of referees or World Rugby.
‘‘But the speed things happen, and [with] the explosiveness of the athletes, sometimes those things can go slightly wrong. But I can pretty much guarantee it’s never anyone’s intent to go out and cause any serious damage,’’ Cane said.
‘‘We’re talking split-seconds sometimes.
‘‘It’s easy when you look at it on the computer and when you slow the camera down and you go tap, tap [on the touchpad and say] ‘look, he could’ve done that’. But when you put it back to full speed we’re talking about [snaps his fingers] bang.’’
‘‘I can pretty much guarantee it’s never anyone’s intent to go out and cause any serious damage.’’
Sam Cane
New Zealand: Jordie Barrett, Ben Smith, Anton Lienert-Brown, Ryan Crotty, Rieko Ioane, Beauden Barrett, Aaron Smith, Luke Whitelock, Sam Cane, Liam Squire, Scott Barrett, Sam Whitelock (c), Owen Franks, Codie Taylor, Joe Moody. Reserves: Nathan Harris, Karl Tu’inukuafe, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Vaea Fifita, Ardie Savea, TJ Perenara, Damian McKenzie, Ngani Laumape.
France: Benjamin Fall, Teddy Thomas, Mathieu Bastareaud (c), Geoffrey Doumayrou, Gael Fickou, Anthony Belleau, Morgan Parra, Kevin Gourdon, Kelian Galletier, Mathieu Babillot, Yoann Maestri, Bernard Le Roux, Uini Atonio, Camille Chat, Dany Priso. Reserves: Pierre Bougarit, Cyril Baille, Cedate Gomes Sa, Paul Gabrillagues, Alexandre Lapandry, Baptiste Serin, Jules Plisson, Maxime Medard.