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All Blacks captain Sam Cane set for injury return in star-studded match

By Online Editors
(Photo by Masanori Udagawa/Getty Images)

Sam Cane’s first Bay of Plenty outing in four years will headline a short-lived throwback as the freshly-named All Blacks return to their provincial roots this week.

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With the All Blacks schedule not due to be confirmed until later this week Ian Foster’s 35-man squad departed Wellington to link with their respective Mitre 10 Cup teams.

While crowds cannot attend the opening weekend, the All Blacks are available for the first two rounds of the provincial season which gets underway on Friday night in Albany.

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The presence of New Zealand’s elite athletes scattered throughout the country’s 14 unions will end a drought for many players.

All Blacks captain Cane last played for Bay of Plenty in 2016 after tearing his hamstring against Argentina, while Beauden Barrett last pulled on Taranaki’s amber and black in 2012.

After almost one month on the sidelines, which included sitting out the North South fixture, Cane has sufficiently recovered from the nasty head knock he took when colliding with Jordie Barrett’s hip while playing for the Chiefs against the Hurricanes in Wellington.

Reporoa-raised Cane is now relishing the chance to return with Bay of Plenty against the Barrett brothers in Inglewood on Sunday.

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“The first couple of weeks after the knock were up and down with a few little headaches and getting a bit weary towards the end of the day but I followed the protocols and rested until I was feeling really good,” Cane said at NZ Rugby headquarters on Sunday.

“I’ve eased into some exercise the last few weeks and really ramped up this last week or so, all the while feeling really good so I hope to pull on that Bay jersey next week.

“They’ve been training away the last few weeks so I won’t have to worry about the leadership side of things, I’ll just enjoy being part of the team. Bay of Plenty had an awesome year last year and they’re in the top flight this year so it’ll be awesome to be involved with them again.

“After debuting for Bay of Plenty as an 18-year-old and looking at some of the old boys on the wall I was hoping to get to 50 games but I’m stranded in the low 20s at the moment because of the way professional rugby has evolved over that time. It will be great to get back – I’ll have to pull my old blazer out the cupboard and dust it out.

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“At the moment it looks like we’ll definitely be playing two games. That’s something all the All Blacks can look forward to. It’s been a long time since we’ve had so many involved in Mitre 10 Cup so there’ll be a buzz around that and the provinces will be excited.

“It’s a great thing to do, mix with some really young guys out of club rugby. It’s a real broad mix of players. Everyone has that pride associated with their province. A lot of the boys play for the team they grew up supporting so that’s cool, too.”

As with everyone, it’s been a strange and at times frustrating season for Cane. Foster asked him to be All Blacks skipper back in February and he then had to keep his anointment quiet until the official announcement in May.

Four months on, Cane is yet to lead the All Blacks into a test.

“The announcement of captain was early on in the piece but no one could predict that test matches were going to be so far away. There’s always a buzz and anticipation the day the All Black team gets announced and today was no different. You can think back and appreciate what it was like to be named the first time.

“Watching the new boys light it up during Super Rugby it was exciting to get us all sitting in a room this morning and share that buzz. Hopefully we don’t have to wait too much longer to get together as a team.

“Logistically it makes sense that we play Aussie. Over the last month or so I’m a bit over guessing what could happen because it changes all the time so we’ll just wait and see.”

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Bull Shark 3 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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