Sam Cane weighs in on Luke Jacobson's All Blacks re-emergence with big claim

Sam Cane says he is “stoked” to see ex-teammate Luke Jacobson performing in the black jersey he once wore, sharing high praise for the Chiefs captain as a man who lives up to his ‘Concrete Shoulders’ nickname.

Jacobson’s journey to the All Blacks‘ No.7 jersey has been long, hard-fought, and plagued by injuries. Yet, seven years on from his debut and with just 26 Tests in that span, he has now been rewarded for his patience with three consecutive starts in one of rugby’s most famed shirts.

Dave Rennie has seen the value in Jacobson’s physical blue-collar work alongside some more dynamic threats in New Zealand’s loose forward stocks, and he now looks set to be a big contributor for the Kiwi national team moving forward.

In Cane’s eyes, Jacobson’s selection has been a long-time coming, and echoes a selection policy that has birthed some of the most successful loose forward trios New Zealand has fielded.

“It’s been awesome. I’m so, so stoked for him,” the Test centurion told The Aftermatch with Kirst & Beav.

“He was someone who came onto the scene quite young; he got selected for the 2019 World Cup, and he’d only debuted that year. I remember we got over there, and he was having what he thought were concussion symptoms, but I think it ended up being related to his eyes. He had to go home, and I just saw how devastated he was.

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“Even back then as a 22-year-old, he could hit as hard as anyone. He’s had to fight for his jersey, and credit to Lukey, he’s 29 and getting his first real crack at it with a decent run now. Hopefully his body holds up because it’s pretty clear Rens (Dave Rennie) and Barnsey (Neil Barnes) want a loose forward trio that are going to complement each other and allow each other to play to their strengths.

“If you look at loose forward trios of the past for the All Blacks that have been good, there’s always been a good balance of everything. I think Luke allows the other guys to do their role.

“One thing that you’re seeing, not just from Luke, but from the forward pack in general, is they’re moving bodies past the ball, which is making the defensive line have to take another metre back to get onside, and just providing a little bit quicker ball. That’s even when they’re looking to go through the middle in the 22.

“For a long time, I’ve believed that Luke hits harder than anyone in this country, consistently. He may not have the big, one-off tackle that makes a highlight reel, but in terms of consistently stopping guys where he hits them, and moving bodies at breakdowns — and he’s tough, he’ll never take a backwards step, he’ll get up time and time again.”

While Jacobson earned selection in each of the three July Tests, it is clear that Rennie’s selection policy is as quick to reward form as it is to punish the lack thereof, as Cane himself learned in 2013. When Rennie was appointed to coach the Chiefs, Cane remembers selections changing each and every week outside of the semifinal and final.

Now, with an expanded All Blacks loose forward unit for the coming tour consisting of eight players, there is as much competition as ever in the national set-up, including some young up-and-comers who left a lasting impression on Cane during his farewell tour.

“I was lucky to play with Wally (Sititi) and Peter (Lakai) in my last year, 2024,” Cane recalled. “I roomed with Peter a couple of times; he was pretty quiet.

“Wallace that year was just incredible. I’ve never seen a loose forward come in like that and dominate like that. But then, Anton Segner, what a story. Seriously impressive.”