'Not good enough': English scribe wants Sam Cane dropped as All Blacks captain

An outspoken English rugby columnist has deemed Sam Cane as “not good enough” to carry out his role as All Blacks captain.

Instead, The Times writer Stuart Barnes believes Cane’s teammate and fellow loose forward Ardie Savea would do a better job at leading the All Blacks.

In an opinion piece published this week, which labelled Cane as “a liability” in its headline, the ex-England and British & Irish Lions first-five was critical of the 30-year-old’s effort in his side’s 42-19 win over Ireland at Eden Park in Auckland last weekend.

Ian Foster and Sam Cane speak to media after NZ’s win over Ireland

Ian Foster and Sam Cane speak to media after NZ’s win over Ireland

Barnes highlighted a defensive mishap by the All Blacks skipper on Ireland centre Garry Ringrose, which resulted in the Irish working their way into a try-scoring position, as a blunder that Savea would not have made.

“Savea, 28, would not have missed that tackle,” Barnes opined. “Cane, 30, doesn’t shift a ruck, nor does he pressurise the ball-carrier with the sort of breathtaking hit he himself suffered at the shoulders of Ringrose earlier in the match.”

Barnes added that Cane “makes his share of tackles but none of them are destructive”, a claim that made in spite of the 78-test flanker’s bone-crunching hit on Irish prop Tadhg Furlong near the end of the first half.

While praising Savea for “one of the best back-row forwards in the world”, Barnes called for Cane’s head to roll from New Zealand’s back row contingent ahead of next year’s World Cup in France.

“On the evidence of [Saturday’s] game, if New Zealand are to find their best back-row blend before next year’s World Cup, the hard call has to be made, with Cane relegated to the bench or jettisoned completely,” Barnes wrote.

“Cane may be New Zealand’s unsung hero. The trouble is, there is simply not enough to sing about.”

By contrast, All Blacks head coach Ian Foster was unreserved in his plaudits of Cane’s leadership during a week in which his squad were plagued by Covid.

“I just thought the work of Sam and our leaders this week was phenomenal,” Foster said in the immediate aftermath of the first match of the three-test series between the All Blacks and Ireland.

Both sides will do battle again at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin this weekend in a match that Ireland must win to keep their hopes of a first-ever series victory in New Zealand alive.