Sam Cane silences the critics with statement performance over Crusaders upstart back row
Chiefs and All Blacks captain Sam Cane has come under fire in 2020 for his failure to stamp his mark in Super Rugby Aotearoa when other loose forwards have been standout performers.
The questions have circled over his early selection as All Black captain, with suggestions that Ian Foster would then have to work around the selection of Cane with the other in form flankers missing out. Lachlan Boshier, Hoskins Sotutu, Dalton Papalii, Cullen Grace, Tom Christie and Du’Plessis Kirifi have all put their hands up to be part of the All Blacks back row.
Against the Crusaders in Hamilton with the Chiefs desperate to end a seven game losing streak, Cane put in an enormous effort, making 24 of 27 tackles and winning three turnovers in a monster effort that showed how industrious his work rate can be.
The impressive performance was aided by the in form Lachlan Boshier at blindside, who added two more turnovers and completed 11 from 12 tackles.
The Chiefs back row dominated the Crusaders loose forwards in the turnover battle, with the trio of Sione Havili, Tom Christie and Tom Sanders failing to register a single turnover.
So many things to pick out of an awesome game, but this bit of defensive work from Sam Cane sums up 'reading the game' perfectly! I'm judging that he knew the play! #CHIvCRU pic.twitter.com/P4aoFlLD4G
— Geraint Davies (@daviesGDD) August 1, 2020
Another 19 tackles from Sam Cane tonight. #captainmaterial #CHIvCRU
— Tom Vinicombe (@TomVinicombe) August 1, 2020
I'd love to see Sam Cane's tackle count. He has been busy shame
— Stay home, save lives (@Scuddy9nine) August 1, 2020
Sam Cane will make a great All Blacks captain.
— Edgar (@omolloed) August 1, 2020
Cane’s defensive performance was another impressive display against the Crusaders adding to his display in Christchurch earlier in the year which also impressed fans.
In last week’s encounter with the Blues, Cane appeared to injure his shoulder but would not let that get in the way. He made two tackles in a row before play stopped to get treatment. In the end, he finished with another 18 tackles and was labelled a ‘warrior’ for his efforts.
Still have 6 minutes to watch, but the two steals by Sam Cane inside the 22 up six just now are two of the best defensive plays I’ve ever seen. #CHIvCRU
— Rugby North America (@rugbyinamerica) June 2, 2019
Sam Cane is on ??
Audacious game of ruggas ? ??
— Brendon Shields (@Brendon_Shields) June 1, 2019
Sam Cane… absolute warrior #BLUvCHI
— Luke Robinson (@whakataneluke) July 26, 2020
Sam Cane is one tough hombre #BLUvCHI
— Christian Hansen (@cpHansen3) July 26, 2020
Although the Chiefs back row stepped up against the Crusaders, the side fell to their eighth straight loss on the back of a contentious refereeing decision with one point between the sides.
A loose pass bounced fortuitously for Sevu Reece in the lead up to his try, which appeared to be a knock-on. The decision put the Crusaders up by eight points with a quarter of the game to go.
Despite many fans still being unconvinced over Cane’s appointment as All Black captain, he does have the respect of his peers, winning the most votes in a player pool conducted by the Country Sports Breakfast radio show hosted by Sam Casey.
Sam Cane earned 24% of the votes as New Zealand’s most respected player, ahead of Brodie Retallick with 17%.
He will have one more chance to impress the doubters in the Chiefs last game against the Hurricanes, where they will try to avoid a clean sweep of losses against every New Zealand team twice.
Comments on RugbyPass
We’re building a bridge but can't agree where the river is.
2 Go to commentsfirst no arms shoulder or helmet tackle into his rib cage is going to be so very painful even to watch. go back to RU mate.
1 Go to commentsBulls by 5. Plus another 50.
3 Go to commentsJohan Goosen avatar. Cute. Surely someone at RP knows how to do a google image search?
3 Go to commentsCan’t these games play a little earlier? Asking for a friend.
3 Go to commentsIt’s impressive that we can see huge stadiums with attendance in the 40 000 to 50 000 region. It shows how popular this competition is becoming. What is even more impressive is the massive growth in broadcast viewership. The URC is one of the two best leagues in the World, the other being the Top14.
7 Go to commentsChristie is not Sottish, like the majority of the Scotland team.
2 Go to commentsHold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
45 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
8 Go to commentsGreat insight into the performance culture with Sarries and I predict Christie will be a fixture in the Scotland team now for some time to come. However, he is slightly missing his own point around Scotland “being soft” when he cites physicality examples in defence of that slight. The issue is much closer to the example he referenced around feeling off before a game but being told “it doesn’t matter, you can still play well” by Farrell. Until Scotland can get their psyche in that square, they will carry on folding under extreme pressure…
2 Go to comments> We are having to adapt, evolve and innovate more than when we were in Super Rugby where there was only really one style that everybody had to play to gain the most success. Have = able to? Interesting what that one style might be? I thought SA sides still had bad tours now, or at least bad schedule, months away? Those extra few hours flights have to be a killer though, no surprise to see their sides doing so badly at the start of the season each year. I wouldn’t enjoy that unfairness as a supporter.
7 Go to commentsThe problem for NZ, and Aus, is they ripped up the SR model and lost a massive chunk of revenue that hasn’t been replaced. Don’t forget SA clubs went North because they were left with no choice, Argy unceremoniously binned and Japan cast adrift. Now SR wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they’ve jumped into something without an effective plan, so far, to replace what they’ve lost. The biggest revenue potential now lies in Japan but it won’t be easy or quick to unlock, they are incredibly insular in culture as a nation. In the meantime, there is a serious time bomb sitting under SH rugby and if it happens then the current financial challenges will look like a picnic. IF the Boks follow their provincial teams and head north then it’s revenue meltdown. Not guaranteed to happen but the status quo is a very odd hybrid, with the Boks pointing one way and the clubs pointing the other way. And for as long as that remains then the threat is real.
45 Go to commentsI think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
8 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
8 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
45 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to comments