Upbeat wing has two matches to impress
CORY JANE’S ever-present sense of humour doesn’t hide the fact he’s deadly serious about trying to convince the All Blacks he can still help them win the World Cup.
The 32-year-old wing was bouncing around Wellington Lions training like a teenager this week with no sign of the high ankle sprain that had threatened to derail his season.
‘‘I’ve been training hard over the last couple of weeks especially up in All Blacks camp,’’ Jane said ahead of the Lions’ match against Taranaki in New Plymouth today. ‘‘Obviously they didn’t think I was as fit as I was, so I flew into everything, a lot of fitness, a lot of weights, a lot of team training as well. I just want to play some rugby.
‘‘I know I have a bit of a challenge and guys are in front of me because I’ve been injured, so the challenge is to come back and play well for the Lions in the next couple of weeks. I want to go to the World Cup because I know my skillset can help us win games. I have to embrace this challenge.’’
It’s not difficult to imagine Jane trying to talk the All Blacks selectors into giving him a shot against the Wallabies at Eden Park, and it’s that self-confidence coach Steve Hansen will be reluctant to discard when he settles on his final 31.
‘‘I tried to tell them to throw me in the deep end, but they didn’t want to so I’m back here,’’ Jane said with a smile. ‘‘They just said play rugby, play some good, decent rugby. I don’t have to try and change the world, but just make some good decisions. Whether I’m running it, draw and pass, catch a ball here and there. Just do what a right wing does. I don’t have to try and jump into everything.’’
That said, Jane, who plays his first match for Wellington since 2013 at Yarrow Stadium, plans to make maximum use of any game time he gets before the All Blacks’ World Cup August 30
‘‘I’ll be busy, but in the areas I need to be busy in. This was my first run with the Lions and I had to try and learn the moves and the game plan and everything in this little run, so I was flying everywhere.’’
Wellington play three matches before the All Blacks squad is named, though realistically Jane has just two, against Taranaki and North Harbour, in Albany next Thursday, to sway Hansen’s thinking.
‘‘I’ve had a few challenges in rugby, but this is a hard one, but I still want to be an All Black, I still want to be at the World Cup,’’ he said. ‘‘Whether I’m on the outer or even in their minds, I’m taking it as a challenge to make sure I am. I’ve got a couple of opportunities to show them.’’
Jane said the players were no clearer as to who the national selectors would pick than the general public and were simply trying
squad
is named
on to make
‘‘It’ll be interesting to see the 31 they come up with. Hopefully I’m No 29 or even in the team. There is probably [Richie] McCaw and [Dan] Carter, [Conrad] Smith and [Ma’a] Nonu and [Kieran] Read. The rest of us are probably all fighting for a spot.’’
Jane said he was thrilled for Hurricanes team-mate Nehe Milner-Skudder who had taken his chance on the right wing in Sydney. He was less complimentary about good mate Israel Dagg’s appearance in the latest Air New Zealand safety video.
‘‘I’m jealous. I would have loved to go in there and throw out a few lines. Izzy was telling me about it weeks ago saying ‘I’m in this Air New Zealand ad, I’m awesome, my singing ability is amazing, I sound like Tupac when I rap’.
‘‘Then I heard it. He’s a horrible rapper, but he’s done well, he looks good, he’s got a few good dance moves, so good on him.’’
the
best
of
their
opportunities.