Why Sam Cane could play in the Heartland Championship this weekend
It has been over six months since All Blacks captain Sam Cane last took to the rugby field after he sustained a serious pectoral injury while playing for the Chiefs against the Blues in March.
Without the services of their skipper, the All Blacks have called upon numerous different figures to fill the leadership void.
Sam Whitelock, Aaron Smith, Ardie Savea and Brodie Retallick have all acted as captain during Cane’s injury-enforced sideline stint throughout the July test series, Bledisloe Cup and the Rugby Championship.
However, Cane could resume his captaincy duties as early as this month when the All Blacks embark on their end-of-year tour of the United States and Europe.
Cane was among four All Blacks and one uncapped prospect called into the national squad on Monday for the tour, and after such a prolonged stint without action, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to see the 29-year-old given game time in the opening match of the tour against the USA Eagles in Washington DC on October 23.
Minutes against the tier two minnows would serve Cane well, especially as he hasn’t been able to take to the field for Bay of Plenty in the NPC after Covid-19 disrupted New Zealand’s provincial season throughout August and September.
However, going into a test match cold after more than half a year without any action could also be counter-productive, which is why both Cane and All Blacks head coach Ian Foster are eager to get back into the swing of things before the tour kicks-off.
The problem is, though, that Cane’s Bay of Plenty side are without a game this weekend as their scheduled clash against Counties Manukau on Sunday has been postponed due to Auckland’s lockdown restrictions.
Cane, and the other New Zealand-based All Blacks called into the squad, will then travel to Washington DC next Thursday, meaning this weekend presents the only opportunity for him to get any minutes under his belt prior to the USA test.
That’s why Foster is looking to the Heartland Championship, New Zealand’s second-tier amateur provincial competition comprised of the country’s smallest unions, in a bid to get Cane the preparation he needs.
“He won’t play [for Bay of Plenty this weekend], so we’re looking around to see whether he might be available to play a game of Heartland rugby,” Foster said on Monday.
“I’m not sure on the latest on that, but he’s desperate to do that, and so we’ll see how the bureaucratic cogs chug their way through that one.”
Uncapped lock Josh Lord has been called into the All Blacks squad ahead of their upcoming end-of-year tour of the United States and Europe. #AllBlacks https://t.co/gqQ6cPzZSU
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 3, 2021
Regardless of whether he plays for the likes of Thames Valley or King Country in round four of the Heartland Championship this weekend, Cane remains a contender to captain the All Blacks against the Eagles at FedEx Field in just under three weeks’ time.
That being said, a decision on who will lead the All Blacks in that test – and the test against Wales in Cardiff a week later – will only be made once Foster has assessed how where players are at after this week’s break and next week’s training camp on the Sunshine Coast.
“At the moment, we’re going to go with the status quo,” Foster said.
“The players we’re bringing over are joining this group, so as far as I’m concerned, this is the status quo that we’ve got right here, so Ardie will carry on leading this team in the short-term future.
“Once we get to Washington and Wales and make some assessments on where the other guys are at, then we’ll let people know, but clearly we’ve got some really good leaders in this team and Ardie’s done a great job.
“Sam Whitelock was outstanding before in the early part of the year, and, Sam Cane, I think we’re likely just to let him come back into the environment for those first two or three weeks.
Listen to the South African rugby team in the background ? pic.twitter.com/fl6EnQzCy8
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 3, 2021
“He’s got to get his own confidence and find his own feet, so we will juggle that as we go along, but we’ve got a clear plan around that. We just want to assess those guys when they come in.”
Foster also confirmed few players will travel to London a day before the All Blacks play the United States in order to prepare for the Welsh test.
“The variables are so much different and travel is so much more complex than what it used to be and how we have to have people together in sort of soft quarantining situations, so, really, we have changed a few plans over the last few months about that,” Foster said.
“We were going to bring the players who were going to join us, they were going to come to Australia and get involved in our camp next week.
“That won’t happen, and so we didn’t think we could afford to keep them out of the environment for too long.
“We do have the ability to send a smaller group up on the Friday before the USA game to send them to London 24 hours earlier, which we will be doing, but, the rest of it, the group will basically stay pretty tight.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Bell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
13 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe 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….
84 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!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 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
13 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.
13 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.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 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?
13 Go to comments