All Blacks coach Ian Foster fronts captaincy implications for Sam Whitelock and Ardie Savea
All Blacks coach Ian Foster has confronted the two major questions following Sam Cane’s appointment as national captain.
Firstly, why was Cane favoured ahead of Sam Whitelock, the veteran lock perceived by many to be Kieran Read’s heir apparent?
Secondly, what does Cane’s captaincy mean for world-class loose forward Ardie Savea?
Foster acknowledged the captaincy decision, the first statement of his new era, came down to a choice between Whitelock and Cane.
Whitelock, with 117 tests to Cane’s 68, has superior experience having featured at three World Cups. Cane is, however, three years younger at 28.
In the end it was Cane’s leadership approach – his open, honest, mature, inclusive style – that earned him the nod.
“It definitely wasn’t a one horse race,” Foster said. “Last year was a different group and we had a different captain. When you’re looking at your captain you look at the whole balance of the leadership group. Sammy Whitelock had a pretty special relationship with Kieran Read so there was a lot of synergy there. When we went from one to the other it was almost seamless.
“Sammy proved he could be a great All Black captain so that wasn’t really the debate. It was a matter of looking at the different styles and the group we think we might have when we put names down on paper and we felt Sam Cane’s style might be a little bit more conducive for this group.
“In some ways it was a great decision to have as a coach because we had at least two people who we were extremely confident in. Sam has actually been in the leadership group longer than Sam Whitelock.
“They’re two great people surrounded by a number of others who we’re equally confident in. Overall Sam Cane is at a point in his career where he’s ready to lead, he’s got a great style and for us it was a gut feel. He’s ready for it. He’s had some great mentors in this All Blacks camp in the last eight years.”
The next hot topic is where Cane’s anointment leaves Savea, last year’s All Blacks, Super Rugby and overall Kelvin R Tremain Memorial player of the year, who then signalled interest in switching to rugby league.
Savea’s form was so compelling at the World Cup that he was preferred at openside flanker for the ill-fated semifinal defeat to England, with the All Blacks starting Scott Barrett at blindside and Cane coming off the bench.
With his captaincy decision, Foster has effectively committed to starting Cane and Savea in the same loose forward trio. Savea proved his ability at No 8 where his speed of the back off the scrum is a valuable asset, while Cane’s confrontational style is equally suited to the six role.
Yet it is the seven jersey both prefer.
Height in the lineout and power in contact will be defining qualities to determining who partners the pair.
“We’ve shown we can both get them on the park at the same time which we’re excited about,” Foster said.
“Certainly when you look at form from last year both players were good enough to be selected.
“We’ve looked at the versatility of Ardie and Sam so we’ve got some really good options there. Some of that might be influenced by who puts their hand up as the third loosie.
“There’s plenty of room for people to impress in that six-eight role and we’ll look at the combinations from then on.
“Ardie is a massive part of our plans, as is Sam Cane. I’m pretty sure we’ll find a way to get them both playing, and playing really well.”
There isn’t a solid argument to be had against Sam Cane's appointment as All Blacks captain, writes @realmikepulmanhttps://t.co/o0QQ8XY5VH
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 6, 2020
Foster is not wedded to appointing a vice-captain anytime soon, saying it was not an obvious strategy and that Cane would ultimately shape his leadership group.
He also addressed the bizarre timing of the announcement with the July tests set to be postponed and uncertainty surrounding the All Blacks first appearance of the year, which is expected to come against the Wallabies.
“Whilst it looks a bit strange because we haven’t got an itinerary yet, it’s not strange because we’re still doing a lot planning behind the scenes about all the different scenarios and a strong player input is vital. The best way to do that is get the pecking order sorted and get Sam sorted in his role so he can maximise the input of his teammates.
“There’s undoubtedly a lot of pressure on everyone and we’re no different to any other organisation in this country. For us the challenges are very real. We know we’re in an industry which is high cost high revenue so when you take away the revenue you’ve got problems.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Says much about the player picking this gig over the easier and bigger rewards offered to him in Japan. Also says a lot about the state sanctioned tax benefits the Irish Revenue offers pro rugby players, with their ten highest earning years subject to an additional 40% tax relief and paid as a lump sum, in cash, at retirement. Certainly helps Leinster line up the financial ducks in a row to fund marquee signings like this!!! No other union anywhere in world rugby benefits from this kind of lucrative financial sponsorship from their government…
2 Go to commentsTrue Jordie could earn a lot more in Japan. But by choosing Leinster he’ll be playing with 1 of the best clubs in the world and can win a champions cup and URC…..
6 Go to commentsThanks for that Marshy, noticed you didn't say who is gonna win it. We know who ain't gonna win it - your Crusaders outfit. They've gone from having arguably the best Super Rugby first five ever, to having a clutch of rookies. Hurricanes all the way!
1 Go to commentsGeez you really have to question the NRLs ability to produce players of quality. Its pathetic. Dont the 25mil in Aus produce enough quality womens players. Sad.
1 Go to commentsBulls fan here, and agree 100% with the conclusion (and little else) of this article. SA sides should absolutely f-off from the champs cup until we get fair scheduling, equal support for travel arrangements and home semis. You know, like all the european teams get.
23 Go to commentsI’m yet to see why Grace would be an ABs contender. He’s pedestrian and lacks the dominance required of a top flight 8.
10 Go to commentsGee my Highlanders were terrible. They have gone backwards since the start of the season. The trouble began when we left Millar behind to prep as the 10 against the Brumbies and he was disconnected from the team that came back from Aussie. We rested Patchell for that game and we blew an avalanche of ball in good attacking positions in the 1st half. Against the Rebels we seem to of gone into a pod system with forwards hanging off from the breakdown leaving Fakatava to secure our ball!
78 Go to commentsPot Kettle, the English and French teams have done it for years.
23 Go to commentsHas virtually played every minute of previous games. Back row of Li Lo Willie , Grace and Blackadder would be the 1. Crusaders issue is a very average 1st 5 who cannot run. Kicking in general play is also below par They need to put Yong Kemara in. He must have so.e talent for them to bring him down from Waikato. Hoehepa would struggle to play in so.e club sided
10 Go to commentsI hope this a good thing making all these changes!
2 Go to commentsThe Hurricanes are good, especially with a decent coach now. However, let’s be real, the Crusaders and Chiefs are clearly a good degree weaker without the players they’ve lost overseas now. The Canes lost one player. It’s also why the aussie teams ‘seem’ to be stronger.
9 Go to commentsOr you could develop your own players instead of constantly taking from the SH competition and weakening it in the process? With all the player and financial resources these unions have compared to SH countries you’d think they could manage that, or is weakening the SH comps and their national sides an added bonus? Probably.
3 Go to commentsNot so fast Aaron, we might need you in black yet lol. God knows he’d be a lot less nerve-racking than hot and (very) cold players like Perofeta. It’s really a shame Reuben Love isn’t playing 10, we’ve got enough 15 options.
4 Go to commentsAnd those from the NH still seem to be puzzled (and delighted) why NZ’s depth isn’t what it once was. Over 600 NZ players overseas, that’s insane. This sort of deal is why Super Rugby coaches have admitted they struggle now to find enough quality to fill out their squads.
6 Go to commentsArticle intéressant ! La question devrait régulièrement se poser pour les jeunes français originaires de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Wallis-et-Futuna et de Polynésie entre la Nouvelle-Zélande et la Métropole… Difficile pour la fédération française de rugby de se positionner : soit le choix est fait de dénicher les jeunes talents et de les faire venir très tôt en Métropole, au risque de les déraciner, soit on prend le risque de se les faire “piller” par les All Blacks qui, telle une araignée, essaye de récupérer tous les talents des îles du Pacifique… À la France de se défendre en développant l’aura du XV de France et des clubs français dans ses collectivités d’Outre-mer !
3 Go to commentsWrong bay. He needs to come to the REAL BAY which is Bay Of Plenty and have a crack at making the Chiefs.
3 Go to commentsIs Barrett going play full back??? They already have all the centers…
16 Go to commentsForgive my ignorance, I might not fully understand so would appreciate clarification: Didn’t the Bulls have to fly with three different carriers, paid for by the South African Rugby Union, whilst Edinburgh got a chartered flight sponsored by EPCR? Also, as far as I understand it South African teams don’t yet share in the revenue from the competition and are not allowed to host Semi-finals or Finals at home. Surely if everyone wants South Africans to “take the competition seriously” then they must make South Africans feel welcome, allow them to share in the revenue, and give them the same levels of access as the teams from the other countries. Just a reminder that South Africa has a large and passionate Rugby audience. Just by virtue of our teams being a part of these competitions means that more of us are likely to watch the knockout games, even if our teams haven’t qualified. It would be silly to alienate such a large audience by making them feel unwelcome.
23 Go to commentsFirst of all. This guy is very much behind the curve. All the bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning took place days ago already. Not adding anything to the topic other than more bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning. 🍼 Second of all, not one mention of the fact that South African teams can’t get home semi finals or finals. The tournament was undermined and devalued by the administrators. 🤡 Thirdly, football teams often have to juggle selections in mid week games, premier games, champions league games etc. and will from time to time prioritize certain titles over others. 🐒 And lastly FEK Neil, and anyone else for that matter, for insisting on telling teams how to manage themselves. If they make what is largely a business decision that suits them and doesn’t suit you - tough shite. 💩 It’s not rocket science as to why the Bulls did what they did. If this guy is too slow to figure it out (and is deliberately not mentioning one of the key reasons why) then he isn’t a journalist. He should join the rest of us pundit plebs in comments section. 🥴
23 Go to commentsSo the first door to knock on Rob is Parliament followed by HMRC. The Irish Revenue deliver a 40% tax relief rebate on the HIGHEST EARNING TEN YEARS of every pro Irish rugby players contract earnings at retirement. That goes a long way to both retaining their best talent and freeing up wages for marquee players. Who knows, if that had been in place in the UK, you might not have been able to poach Hoggy and Jonny Gray from Glasgow…!!!
3 Go to comments