Thoughts from the new All Blacks captain: Why Sam Cane frustrates coach Ian Foster
All Black coach Ian Foster revealed his new captain Sam Cane can be “frustrating” to deal with.
And the Chiefs loose forward says he already knew that Foster could find him a bit annoying.
After appointing Cane this week, Foster said: “He’s really comfortable in own skin about who he is and not afraid to challenge and question.
“He likes clarity. If things are not clear he will asks a lot of questions. It’s a bit frustrating at times but that’s the beauty of him as a captain.”
When asked by Newstalk ZB’s Martin Devlin about Foster’s suggestion he could be annoying as Devlin put it, Cane said: “I know what he means because he’s said it to me in the past.
“I like to have a good understanding of what we’re doing and the why behind it. Once I understand that I can help drive it – that’s what he’s alluding to there.”
But Cane also revealed that it is not his style to be so questioning of referees.
“Early on in my career, particularly the first few years as captain, I worked with a couple of referees (about) the right questions to ask, when to shut up and leave them alone, how they think during a game.
“They are under pressure as well. Sometimes I find less is better with referees, and they’ve told me that too. It’s a bit of a philosophy I have unless it is something I feel strongly about or I feel it is the right time
“I won’t be in the referee’s ear all game – that works for me as well, to focus on your own team and your own play.”
The reception to his appointment
“Now it is all out in the open I’ve been pretty overwhelmed with the messages of support,” he said.
“The most important thing is you have the respect of teammates, management and the team…every rugby player goes out there to earn the respect of their teammates above all else.
“You certainly feel a bit more expectation on your shoulders, you’re not just worried about yourself but I’m a lot better at managing that now.”
Cane said he had learned how to concentrate on his own game and use breaks in play to take care of team matters. A captain needed to put a lot of trust in players around him, and particularly in the halfback and first five-eighth.
He had built strong bonds over a decade with some fellow All Backs, from their junior days.
On the media
“I’ve learnt over the years to take everything with a grain of salt, have a bit of a thick skin…the most important opinions are from close ones.”
On getting used to collisions again
“I remember talking to (former All Black loose forward) Rodney So’oialo and one of the things he missed most about rugby was the contact and collision
“Loose forwards and the tight five will know what he means…it really resonated, after a while you do miss that.
“No doubt you are sore after them but it’s amazing how quickly your body can adjust – a few weeks of that and we’ll be back into it.
“Sometimes when you haven’t played for a while and you’re watching a game you think ‘geez that’s physical, holy smoke’…but then you’re out there the next day doing it yourself.
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“These days everyone’s got the players best interests at heart…it’s going to be a minimum of three weeks training before the first game…two weeks of just training with no game at the weekend and in the third week we are training for the game on Saturday.
“There’s a lot of trust put in medical staff, strength and conditioning coaches…it’s just about getting those collisions in. It’s what we’ve been training for and keeping fit for during this period.”
On Foster’s somewhat contentious appointment
Cane said Foster’s eight years in a very successful All Black camp meant he was perfectly placed to know what worked, and what he would like to tweak.
“Just because we didn’t get the job done last year, there are still a lot of good things in place, he’s able to identify the tweaks,” Cane said.
He described Foster as “tactically up with the best” and “good at narrowing down the things to get right”.
“He’s a good people person, good values, cares about his players, I think he’ll do a fantastic job.”
Cane’s only real contact with Foster’s All Black coaching rival Scott Robertson was when the Crusaders boss was selecting New Zealand under-20 loose forwards, when Cane was emerging.
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Will the All Blacks play this year?
“I’m really hopeful and all the signs are pretty positive…most likely Australia, potentially Ireland could open up as well, South Africa could get across. That would be awesome.”
He said rugby needed to put a “good product” out.
On being benched for Scott Barrett in the World Cup semi-final against England
“Steve (Hansen) called me into his room (before the team announcement) and just gave me his reasoning, he was open and honest…wanted to target the English lineout offensively, to stop the ball at the source.
“I was hugely disappointed because you want to be involved in the big games.
“I knew I would be involved but not to same capacity. It was tough, but a good test for my character, to suck it up and get on with it and do my best when I got on the field.”
On his comeback from a broken neck
Cane said he didn’t really acknowledge his incredible recovery at the time but “it’s pretty remarkable how life can take you on different journeys”.
Comments on RugbyPass
The rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
76 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
9 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
9 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
9 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
9 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
9 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
2 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to comments