In defence of the best defender in NZ: Why the 'Sam Cane problem' doesn't exist
Back in March, new All Blacks head coach Ian Foster appointed Sam Cane as the fulltime captain replacement for Kieran Read. While the decision was met with mild apprehension at the time, that apprehension has now developed into full-blown criticism due to Cane’s supposedly under-impressive performances in Super Rugby Aotearoa.
The truth of the matter is, however, that while Cane hasn’t necessarily been setting the world alight for the Chiefs, the critics have been looking for him to shine in all the wrong places.
Much like his predecessor Richie McCaw, Cane isn’t a flashy player. If you’ve been expecting him to make rampaging runs in the midfield, throw backdoor offloads or set up tries then yes, you’re going to be disappointed. That’s not Cane’s schtick – it never has been.
Some of the new breed of loose forwards have added new strings to their bow. Ardie Savea is the obvious example of a player who, not content with just doing the less glamorous work, has taken his running game to the next level.
Savea is possibly the greatest player in New Zealand right now – his all-round game is second to none, at least among forwards. That doesn’t necessarily mean that Savea is the best openside flanker in the country, however.
It also doesn’t mean he’s not. While Savea is exceptional at picking up metres with his second-to-none leg drive, he’s also fantastic at all the core duties expected of someone wearing the All Blacks No. 7 jersey.
The question remains, however, does Savea’s advantage in the open field make up for Cane’s tight work that is seemingly overlooked by all and sundry when assessing the merits of the new All Blacks captain?
There’s no obvious answer to that puzzle but it’s something that Foster would have weighed up before appointing Cane as captain. Savea’s strengths are well-known and were on display regularly in 2019 for both the Hurricanes and the All Blacks.
Come that fateful semi-final against England, however, Savea’s destructive running was nowhere to be found. England’s forwards dominated their counterparts and Savea’s running game took a backseat.
That’s what happens when you come up against strong, motivated and passionate opposition – and it’s something that Foster’s coaching team will be contemplating ahead of any international fixtures. It’s the likes of England, Ireland, France and South Africa who Foster will be especially targeting as teams that could give the All Blacks a run for their money in the coming years.
In 2018, the former two gave NZ massive frights (with Ireland actually getting up over the men in black) and, of course, England then upset New Zealand at the World Cup.
Waikato have announced a massive signing for the 2020 season. A legend is returning home. #Mitre10Cup #AllBlackshttps://t.co/NIS5xe7jjL
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 21, 2020
In that semi-final, Savea stood up on defence and was the top tackler on the night, while he also forced a clutch breakdown penalty. It was some impressive work from the Hurricane – but he didn’t attract anywhere near as much attention as he normally does simply because doing the dirty work is isn’t as noticeable as carving up metres on attack.
And while Savea didn’t let his team down by any means in that match, and was possibly the All Blacks’ best player on the night, a game dominated by tight work is Cane’s bread and butter and the Chiefs captain should have been on the field from start to finish, instead of being benched in favour of Scott Barrett. Unsurprisingly, the decision not to run with the Cane/Savea combo from the opening minute was one which Hansen regretted following the loss.
“If I turn round and say [the team selection] backfired, then Scott is going to feel pretty average,” Hansen said after the match. “So I’m not going to turn round and say it backfired. I’ll take that one on the chin.
“If we had our time again, we might consider doing something different.”
It’s not hard to infer from Hansen’s words that perhaps things didn’t go the way the selectors had expected. Notably, Cane still ended up as the All Blacks’ fifth-most prolific tackler on the night, despite getting just 40 minutes of game time.
So while it’s all well and good to suggest that Cane is underperforming in Super Rugby Aotearoa compared to the crop of talented young openside flankers that New Zealand is currently blessed with, that’s only if you’re focusing on the more easily consumable metrics.
Cane has made the most tackles of any Chiefs player over the three matches that he’s played of Super Rugby Aotearoa. Compared to the other openside flankers running about in the competition, he’s second only to Du’Plessis Kirifi in terms of tackles made relative to their teammates. Savea, who’s been packing down at number 8, is well down the list – but that’s also a product of the position he’s been playing. Of course, that position also presents him greater opportunities to get runs on the board, so there’s a trade-off.
Still, Cane lags only slightly behind Savea in terms of carries relative to teammates – and has the most relative carries of any openside flanker in Super Rugby Aotearoa over three rounds.
Tom Christie was turning heads early in the season after week upon week of exceptional performances.
The latest openside flanker off the Canterbury conveyor belt spoke to @TomVinicombe about his debut season with @CrusadersRugby. #SuperRugbyAotearoahttps://t.co/Ci0kTsQtLi
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 20, 2020
While metres gained fall unsurprisingly in Savea’s favour, that’s partially because the hulking Hurricane loose forward has a handful of linebreaks to his name. The Hurricanes wisely often position Savea in the outer channels during phase play where the defensive line is more disjointed, and the former sevens player can make the most of his pace, strength and acceleration. That’s clearly not a strength of Cane’s game – but it’s also not a role that many openside flankers would be asked to take on. Certainly, McCaw was rarely used by the All Blacks in the wider channels, and it’s become a job for the All Blacks’ hookers and either blindside flanker or eight-man in recent times.
Savea can still very much fill this role for the New Zealand national side – in the same jersey that he’s been wearing for the Hurricanes. That leaves Cane to focus on the duties he’s best at – slogging up the ball close to the action to create space out wide for the more explosive ball carriers.
In terms of general work around the field, Cane hits more breakdowns than any other loose forwards and has no qualms getting his head stuck in darks spaces so that other players can exploit the gaps he helps create with his breakdown play.
While Cane hasn’t been as prodigious as nabbing steals at the breakdown, that can partially be accredited to the fewer games he’s played under the new law interpretations, as well as to the fact that like McCaw in his latter years, that’s not a massive focus of his game compared to other openside flankers.
And to all the shock jocks who have questioned Cane’s abilities not as a player but as a captain, you only have to look to the recent player polls to see how highly regarded the Chiefs flanker is. 24% of the NZ Super Rugby players surveyed said Cane was the most respected player in the country (ahead of Brodie Retallick, Savea and Dane Coles). He was also voted the toughest player in the country, in a landslide victory (again, ahead of Retallick and Savea).
While there would have naturally been some players unhappy with Cane’s appointment – as there would have been with any appointment – it’s clear that the man is a natural leader and is esteemed amongst his peers.
Sam Cane may not be the best player in New Zealand – he may not even be the best loose forward in New Zealand – but he’s an exceptionally important cog in the All Blacks machine who has proven time and time again that he deserves the jersey and deserves the captain’s armband.
Comments on RugbyPass
The rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
76 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
9 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
9 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
9 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
9 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
9 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
2 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to comments