Dad-to-be Cane likely to play

All Blacks skipper Sam Cane admits the frustration got to him last week as time ticked by with no baby arrival.

But now, still only a couple of days past wife Harriet’s due date for the couple’s first child, the Chiefs co-captain is at peace with nature doing its thing and what will be will be, and feels confident he will be leading his side out tomorrow night in their big Super Rugby Pacific clash against the Brumbies in Hamilton.

Having missed last Friday night’s clash against the Reds in Brisbane to instead fly home for potential off-field action, Cane has been named to return at No 7 for the round-12 clash at FMG

Stadium Waikato, barring any late drama.

‘‘They [babies] don’t come out on the date, normally, I’ve been told 5% do, so all looking good to be playing this Saturday,’’ Cane said yesterday.

‘‘It would have to be something pretty drastic to happen.

‘‘Last week I was getting a bit frustrated, and then sort of just decided it will come when it will come.’’

So does Harriet have a direct line to Clayton McMillan in the coaches box should things kick off at home and one father-to-be has his head buried somewhere in a ruck?

‘‘Everything we’ve been told is that births don’t happen within a couple of hours,’’ Cane noted. ‘‘So I think we’ll know before kickoff what I’m doing. But I’m pretty confident I’ll be out there.’’

Having jetted back across the ditch early, Cane said the nice thing was having close to three weeks at home around this special time, and that McMillan had been a strong support.

‘‘He’s been great all week,’’ Cane said. ‘‘It’s reassuring from a player’s point of view to have such a vote of confidence from the boss around what’s the priority.’’

McMillan has already had a similar situation this season with Emoni Narawa, who was a late scratching from the round-eight match against the Blues after his first child was born in the early hours of game-day. In fact, the outside back is only just returning this weekend, via the bench.

‘‘For first time dads, they probably don’t realise how big a job that is until the baby actually arrives,’’ McMillan said. ‘‘Moni found that out, and Sam will find that out soon.

‘‘Our philosophy is family always comes first.’’

Cane’s return is the only change to the Chiefs’ forward pack, while McMillan has tweaked the backline, with Kaleb Trask taking Chase Tiatia’s spot at fullback and Etene Nanai-Seturo’s return from a hamstring injury enabling

Quinn Tupaea to move back into his more accustomed spot at second five-eighth.

While very happy with having banked nine of a possible 10 competition points in their two games across the Tasman, McMillan felt the way they accumulated those points rated more like a six out of 10, though he’s liked what he’s seen this week as his side looks to improve for the challenge of a Brumbies side coming off wins over the Highlanders and Hurricanes.

‘‘We’re under no illusions around the challenges they pose this week.

‘‘They’re a pretty balanced side, accurate, willing to play. They’re probably what we would see as the most similar to what we encounter in New Zealand, in terms of style,’’ McMillan said.