How Sam Cane's return will impact the All Blacks loose forwards
After almost five months out of action due to a pectoral injury sustained during the Super Rugby Aotearoa season, injured All Blacks captain Sam Cane is on the comeback trail.
The 29-year-old hasn’t featured for the All Blacks at all this season as he continues to recover from the injury he picked up while playing for the Chiefs against the Blues at the end of March.
However, in an Instagram post last week, Cane detailed that he plans to make a long-awaited return to the playing field within the next two months after he regained a full range of motion following a shoulder reconstruction and pectoral reattachment.
It means the 74-test veteran could feature for the All Blacks on their end-of-year tour of the United States, Wales, Italy, France and Ireland throughout the course of October and November.
Most will expect Cane to be eased back into the thick of things after such a lengthy injury spell, with appearances against the United States and Italy, possibly from off the bench, likely before being thrown into the mix against bigger opponents.
Cane’s reintegration back into the All Blacks will bring with it an element of intrigue, though, given how well the current crop of loose forwards have been playing in his absence.
In New Zealand’s Bledisloe Cup-clinching 57-22 thumping of the Wallabies at Eden Park last weekend, the starting back row trio of Akira Ioane, Dalton Papalii and Ardie Savea all caught the eye with standout displays.
On the attacking front, Ioane and Savea led the way with a collective total of one try, one try assist, 127 running metres, six defenders beaten and two clean breaks.
The efforts of the blindside flanker and No 8 drew the praise of former All Blacks hooker James Parsons, who told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod that Ioane’s attacking traits were beginning to shine in the test arena.
“I think that’s what Akira’s strength is, that wide channel play. He’s making massive gains in his tight work, in his physicality and his defence,” Parsons said as he spoke highly of Ioane’s role in the lead-up to Brodie Retallick’s try last weekend.
“That ball in two hands, he’s pumping, he’s pumping, [Wallabies wing Andrew] Kellaway has to bite to the winger because he’s more worried about that speed, and then he [Ioane] has the ability to give an inside ball to Damian [McKenzie], who gives a freakish offload as well.
“That ball in two hands, to run at that pace at that size, that’s his bread and butter. Also, he drifted on the pass of his brother’s. There were so many things he does naturally that are so hard to do. He is such a threat in those channels.”
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Parsons added that Savea’s physicality and ball-carrying prowess while going into contact has been immense and was vital in his assist to Will Jordan’s try last weekend.
“Ardie, his physicality and his post-contact [metres], to get through contact [with his] leg drive, and then come out the other side like he did to link for Jordan’s try, he was massive.”
Papalii, meanwhile, proved himself as a defensive workhorse as he made a match-high 19 tackles from 22 attempts to stamp his mark on the No 7 jersey in just his third test start.
Crusaders and Maori All Blacks halfback Bryn Hall told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod that Papalii is beginning to bear the fruits of more exposure at test level and, with more playing time under his belt, he could prove to be a formidable international prospect.
“Probably a guy that goes unnoticed during that, because obviously when you’ve got guys that have that ability to attack with Ardie and Akira, Dalton was fantastic defensively,” Hall said.
“He topped the tackle count with 19, so when you’ve got a guy like that who can release those guys to be able to play on the edge, get a little bit on the edge – with Aki, but even for Ardie coming through the middle for Jordan’s try – Dalton does all the messy work.
“We’ve talked about it before. He’s only going to grow the more test matches that he gets.”
The contrasting styles of play between those three players has seen them establish themselves as the starting back row trio in Ian Foster’s side this year.
The added influence of Luke Jacobson off the bench means the All Blacks have a tried and tested loose forward contingent in their match day side.
That contingent is further bolstered by the strong depth evident throughout the squad, as the likes of Hoskins Sotutu, Shannon Frizell and Ethan Blackadder can all be called upon to provide ample support if required.
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All of that creates an interesting dilemma for Foster when it comes time to welcoming Cane back into the playing roster.
Despite the impressive performances of Ioane, Papalii and Savea, as well as that of Jacobson, it is expected that Cane, given both his role as captain and his world-class ability as a flanker, will be thrust back into the starting side as soon as possible.
It means one of the current starting three will have to drop out of the run-on side, and that could, in turn, jeopardise Jacobson’s place in the match day squad.
As an openside flanker with similar qualities to Cane, Papalii looms as the most likely candidate to lose his place in the starting back row considering the All Blacks are likely to want to maintain the current loose forward balance that has worked so well for them.
However, Hall warned that Papalii’s demotion from the starting team could hamper his development as a test player, which he said has been progressing well since being handed a run of starts for the first time in his international career.
“I know Sam Cane is the captain and he’s coming back, probably shortly, but the more time Dalton’s going to get in that jersey, we’re going to start to see him dominating like he does at Super Rugby level with turnovers at crucial moments,” Hall said.
“He’s coming along really, really nicely, pairing up with those loose forwards, Ardie and Aki.”
Parsons added that opportunities could still come for Papalii, and those – such as Sotutu, Frizell and Blackadder – who remain on outer within the All Blacks squad, once the third Bledisloe Cup test rolls around.
When and where the final Bledisloe Cup clash of the year will take place remains uncertain after Covid-19 outbreaks in New Zealand and Australia have thrown the Rugby Championship into disarray.
Sources have told RugbyPass that an emergency plan to take the competition to the United Kingdom and Europe is being considered, and it could be that the third Bledisloe Cup test is held in any one of London, Dublin, Cardiff or Paris.
UPDATE: Pumas change it up ahead of the second Test against the Boks in PE. #RugbyChampionship https://t.co/YYNBBol5n1
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Regardless of where it is staged, Parsons said that, with the prized piece of silverware locked away for a 19th straight year, Foster could tinker with his side to give those who have received minimal game time in recent weeks a chance to prove their worth.
The former two-test hooker added that Foster will utilise different game plans for different teams, meaning that those who played against the Wallabies might not feature against the Springboks or Los Pumas.
“They’ll pinpoint some games where they’ll create opportunity. It might be this third Bledisloe,” Parsons told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.
“Then it’s on for those guys when they get their opportunity, whether it’s 10 or 15 minutes, or it’s 70, it’s executing and putting their hand up because the current three are doing that.
“But, let’s not forget, game plans change against different sides, so a style of play that’s suited against the Wallabies might be different against a physical, high-kicking team in South Africa and Argentina.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Bulls 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.
20 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.
7 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!
72 Go to commentsPot Kettle, the English and French teams have done it for years.
20 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
7 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…
15 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.
20 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. 🥴
20 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 comments1. True, if that “free” ticket means access to all but the prized exhibit - EVIP only. SA cannot host semis, even if they’ve earned it (see Sharks vs ASM Clermont Auvergne at… Twickenham Stoop). 2. Why no selective outrage over Lyon doing the exact same thing a week earlier? Out of all the countries France send the most “B teams”, why nobody talking about “disrespect” and “prioritising domestic leagues” and “kicking them out”? 3. Why no mention of the Sharks fielding all of their Springboks for the second rate Challenge cup QF? No commitment? 4. Why no mention of all the SA teams qualifying for respective euro knock out comps in the two seasons they’ve been in it? How many euro teams have qualified for KO’s in their history? Can’t compete? 5. Why no mention of SA teams beating French and English giants La Rochelle and Saracens? How many euro teams have done that in their history? Add no quality? The fact is that SA teams are only in their second season in europe, with no status and a fraction of the resources. Since joining the URC, SA has seen a repatriation of a number of players, and this will only grow once SA start sharing in the profits of competing in these comps, meaning bigger squads with greater depth and quality, meaning they don’t have to prioritise comps as they have to now - they don’t have imports from Pacifica and South America and everywhere else in between like “European” teams have - also less “Saffas” in Prem and T14, that’s what we want right? 'If the South Africans are in, they need to be all in' True, and we have to ensure we give them the same status and resources as we give everyone else to do just that. A small compromise on scheduling will go a long way in avoiding these situations, but guess what, France and England wont compromise on scheduling because they ironically… prioritise their domestic comps, go figure!
20 Go to commentsthe success of the premiership can be summarized by : only 10 teams. It makes a huge difference with the overcrowded top 14 (let us not talk about Leinster and URC…)
2 Go to commentsGood for him. The ABs were fooling around again with converted fullbacks that had a penetration of a marshmallow. Laumape or as Aki has shown for Ireland, go forward is important in the centres. If it had been DMac - Aki- Aumua - Ioane- Telea- Jordan in France the final result would have been different.
4 Go to commentsDan Carter a apporté son professionnalisme, des méthodes de travail, un esprit qui manquaient à l’USAP. Son influence, même une fois blessé a été énorme. Et pour citer une anecdote, certains soirs il venait de lui-même à l’entraînement des jeunes pour dispenser ses conseils. On ne peut pas compter ce qu’il a apporté au club en heures de jeu sur le terrain. Est-ce que le club en a eu pour son argent ? Avec la publicité sur son nom et le titre, je suppose que oui.
1 Go to comments