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Sam Cane's 'small margins' reaction to 16-point All Blacks defeat

By Liam Heagney
(Photo by Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images)

Under-fire All Blacks skipper Sam Cane has refused to write off his team’s two-match series in South Africa, alleging that the fixing of a few small things can make all the difference in next Saturday’s Rugby Championship rematch in Johannesburg. The New Zealanders were defeated 26-10 in Mbombela, losing their fifth match in their last six outings and their last three in a row.

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With question marks having arisen over the All Blacks captaincy of Cane in the wake of last month’s home series defeat to Ireland, there will surely be further queries about his leadership role in the team following their latest setback.

The All Blacks trailed the Springboks 10-3 at the interval and were unable to reel in that margin, eventually losing by 16 points when Willie le Roux touched down for a late converted try despite the hosts being reduced to 14 players following a 75th-minute red card for Kurt-Lee Arendse following his poorly-timed aerial collision with Beauden Barrett.

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The defeat will heap further pressure on Ian Foster, whose coaching reshuffle post the Ireland series loss – Jason Ryan coming in and John Plumtree and Brad Mooar departing – wasn’t enough of a change to bring an end to New Zealand’s miserable run of results.

Cane, though, attempted to spin a line of All Blacks positivity in his post-game flash TV interview on SuperSport. Asked where is the confidence and self-belief in his team and whether they can come back in next weekend’s second fixture against the Springboks, the captain said: “I suppose from the outside looking in you could wonder if that was the case.

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“But I can’t ask any more of the team in terms of the belief and the effort that they are putting out there. We will fight to the last minute every time and there is absolute belief. It’s just small margins that apply at this level and a few small things we have got to fix can make a big difference.”

Cane had started the brief interview by congratulating the Springboks for their performance. “I want to credit the Springboks and the way they played, particularly in the first half. They threw a heck of a lot at us. I thought we did well to absorb it but it took a lot out of us and they kept applying pressure. They were extremely good at the breakdown, led by Malcolm Marx on his 50th (Test appearance), and they disrupted a lot of our flow.

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“The kicking game, the contestables, we knew they were coming. They probably won that battle as well. We are bitterly disappointed. We were really looking forward to playing South Africa over here, it had been a long time between games (2018 was their last visit). To come out on the wrong side of the scoreboard really hurts.”

Asked what in particular had let them down, Cane added: “It’s hard when you don’t hold onto the ball for long and give away breakdown penalties. We were a little bit slow there tonight and it hurt us. Look, we will travel down to Jo’burg tomorrow [Sunday] and start looking forward to the next Test and throw absolutely everything at that.”

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J
Jon 57 minutes ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

34 Go to comments
j
john 3 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

15 Go to comments
A
Adrian 5 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

15 Go to comments
T
Trevor 8 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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