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‘Live with forever’: All Blacks captain Sam Cane reacts to red card
All Blacks captain Sam Cane was visibly hurting after the Rugby World Cup final. New Zealand were bested 12-11 by South Africa and Stade de France, and a key moment involving Cane was a talking point.
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For the first time ever in men’s Rugby World Cup final history, a player was sent from the field – and it was captain Cane. The skipper was initially sent to the sin bin following a high shot on Springboks centre Jesse Kriel midway through the first half.
But the incident went under review. An anxious five minutes followed before referee Wayne Barnes officially confirmed that the incident had been upgraded to a red card offence.
Off camera, Cane dropped his head into his hands as referee Barnes showed the skipper red.
The All Blacks had to play 55 minutes with 14 players, and that doesn’t include flanker Shannon Frizell’s time in the sin bin earlier in the Test. It left the All Blacks in a mighty tough spot.
New Zealand had a few opportunities to snatch World Cup glory from the jaws of defeat at the death, but it wasn’t to be in the end. The All Blacks lost a thriller, and unfortunately for Cane, his red card is just something “I am going to have to live with.”
“Look, at the time I wasn’t even aware, it caught me off guard that he stepped back. But we have been here for two months now and anything around the head has ramifications,” Cane told reporters after the final.
“I’m not here to discuss whether it was the right or wrong decision. It can’t be changed. Unfortunately, it is something I am going to have to live with forever.”
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Midfielder Jordie Barrett found himself on the side of the scrum in Cane’s absence as the All Blacks rallied back from the game-changing setback.
The All Blacks played with a one-man disadvantage for long periods of this Test, but it didn’t seem like it at times. If anything, New Zealand looked more threatening during the second term.
But the Springboks, just as they have throughout the entirety of the knockout stage, hung on when it counted. Test matches are won by fine margins, after all.
Coach Ian Foster praised captain Cane for his leadership after the final, and refused to pin the blame on the skipper’s send-off.
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“I think we’ve all seen the way Sam has contributed to the game, our team behind the scenes, he’s been fantastic, worthy of being captain of the All Blacks, which is a fantastic honour and a privilege and I think he’s carried that magnificently well and I am incredibly proud of him. I am incredibly proud to coach him,” Foster added.
“It’s a tough old day at the office when that happens and he’ll be feeling a lot of emotion I guess.
“There’s a few issues there, one is you look at the decision and say well, it is what it is, we can’t control that unfortunately. I didn’t feel we got the rub of the green in that first half, so we had to try and make our own luck but that was one that went against us.
“But the second thing is the heart and soul that the team showed afterwards to stay in that fight and I think that’s largely due to the spirit of the group and the spirit of the leaders and even though Sam wasn’t on, he was a big part of that.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Can someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
227 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
3 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
86 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
29 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
227 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
227 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to commentsCan’t wait for the article that talks about misogyny in Ireland. Somehow.
19 Go to commentsI would like to see a rule change, when the attacking team is held up over the try line, by allowing the defensive team to restart a goal line drop out releases the pressure for the defensive team, but what if the attacking team had to restart a tap 5m out from the defensive team it gives the attacking team to apply more pressure, there are endless options for the attacking side and it will keep the fans in suspence.
2 Go to commentsLess modern South African males predictably triggered.
19 Go to commentsMy heart is with Quins, but the head is convinced Toulouse have too much. Ntamack is back, his timing and wisdom has been missed.
1 Go to commentsWow, what a starting line up for the Sharks) Tasty up front,kremer vs Tshituka or venter …fiery ,,Lavannini ,,will he knobble etzebeth? Biggest game for belleau?
1 Go to comments