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Sam Cane says the pressure is still on his All Blacks team

By AAP
Pumas head coach Michael Cheika consoles Sam Cane of the All Blacks after The Rugby Championship match between the New Zealand All Blacks and Argentina Pumas at Orangetheory Stadium on August 27, 2022 in Christchurch, New Zealand. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

The All Blacks are feeling pressure from all sides to rebound after their shock home defeat to Argentina but are not far away from producing a winning performance, according to embattled captain Sam Cane.

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The All Blacks lost at home to the Pumas for the first time in Christchurch on Saturday and another defeat to the South Americans in Hamilton this weekend would imperil their RugbyChampionship title defence.

“There’s that pressure, there’s the external pressure and there’s the internal pressure that we put on ourselves,” Cane told reporters at training on Tuesday.

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“We’re not happy with how we fronted up last week so, (there’s) heaps of pressure.”

While coach Ian Foster and the All Blacks staff have shouldered most of the blame for the team’s struggles, flanker Cane has also been a lightning rod for criticism from disgruntled fans.

Former Blues coach-turned-TV pundit John Kirwan said the leadership group were failing the team and called for openside Cane to be dropped and replaced by Dalton Papalii in the back row.

Cane agreed the senior players needed to step up but said the form woes could be reversed with basic improvements in discipline and execution.

“I don’t think it was a horrible performance by any means,” he said of the 25-18 loss in Christchurch, the All Blacks’ sixth defeat in eight tests.

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“I don’t think we’re way off. If we could be a little bit more disciplined in that first half and put them under a lot more pressure, then potentially the game changes from there.

“But we didn’t do that and they are a very good side. I think that can be underestimated in this whole thing.”

The All Blacks may have reinforcements in the form of former world players of the year, lock Brodie Retallick and five-eighth Beauden Barrett, with both back at training after injuries.

Barrett said he was in good shape a week after sustaining a neck injury that sidelined him for Christchurch.

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Bull Shark 1 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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