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Sure, Sam Cane’s no Richie McCaw, but who is?

Sam Cane of the All Blacks leads the team out ahead of The Rugby Championship & Bledisloe Cup match between the Australia Wallabies and the New Zealand All Blacks at Marvel Stadium on September 15, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

You can tell the All Blacks are suddenly Rugby World Cup contenders.

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Yes, with deft timing, English rugby expert Stuart Barnes has opined that captain Sam Cane isn’t worthy of a place in New Zealand’s best loose trio and could be an impediment to the team’s success in France.

It’s not an argument without merit. But one that’s been had and lost – depending on your point of view – meaning Cane will continue to lead the All Blacks out during the tournament, fitness permitting.

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If you follow politics in New Zealand, you’ll be aware the main opposition party appears poised to unseat the government, in October’s general election. As poll after poll paints a dispiriting picture for the incumbents, out roll the media think pieces suggesting the opposition leader is a liability and should be rolled.

It’s an attempt to create instability where none exists.

And so it is with Barnes and Cane.

Look, I’m not an enormous Cane enthusiast and have never pretended to be.

But I accept he’s a fixture in the All Blacks’ first-string side and it’ll only be an absence of durability that changes that.

Either way, I don’t see his presence or absence as being a big determinant in the Rugby World Cup outcome.

Rugby World Cup

Pool A
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
France
0
0
0
0
0
2
Italy
0
0
0
0
0
3
Namibia
0
0
0
0
0
4
New Zealand
0
0
0
0
0
5
Uruguay
0
0
0
0
0
Pool B
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
Ireland
0
0
0
0
0
2
Romania
0
0
0
0
0
3
Scotland
0
0
0
0
0
4
South Africa
0
0
0
0
0
5
Tonga
0
0
0
0
0
Pool C
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
Australia
0
0
0
0
0
2
Fiji
0
0
0
0
0
3
Georgia
0
0
0
0
0
4
Portugal
0
0
0
0
0
5
Wales
0
0
0
0
0
Pool D
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
Argentina
0
0
0
0
0
2
Chile
0
0
0
0
0
3
England
0
0
0
0
0
4
Japan
0
0
0
0
0
5
Samoa
0
0
0
0
0
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If the All Blacks are to recover from three or four fairly underwhelming years of footy – and unexpectedly be crowned world champions again – I sincerely doubt it’ll be because of whoever’s wearing the No.7 jersey.

As I’ve written before, the team’s prospects depend on the authority of their tight-five and the shots called by halfback Aaron Smith and first five-eighth Richie Mo’unga.

If the engine room fires and the playmakers are smart, then the All Blacks have a legitimate shot at the title. But if the All Blacks can’t compete in the set pieces and are without vigour at the breakdown, then there won’t be a flaming thing Smith and Mo’unga can do about it.

In that sense, Cane is a peripheral figure. A guy to run out onto the pitch first, speak at press conferences and contribute to the overall culture of the team.

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It’ll be Smith, Mo’unga and whatever combination of locks Sam Whitelock, Scott Barrett and Brodie Retallick running the show on the paddock.

The other part is there is no blindingly obvious – or demonstrably better – alternative to Cane on the openside.

Ardie Savea is ensconced at No.8 and Dalton Papalii doesn’t demand selection at 7.

So, in the same way I dismiss the idea that Christopher Luxon should be rolled as leader of the opposition National Party, so I roll my eyes at Barnes’ assertions about Cane.

Sure, Cane’s no Richie McCaw, as Barnes points, but who is? Talk about stating the obvious.

McCaw sits among the all-time greats, while Cane will be remembered as a fine man who did his best. It’s chalk and cheese.

The All Blacks are a team on the rise and going after the skipper only shows the rest of the world are worried about it.

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Comments

23 Comments
B
B.J. Spratt 686 days ago

Kiwis can watch the worst ever All Black Team, with the worst ever All Black Coach, with the worst ever All Black Captain, play the worst ever game in All Black history, with the worst ever loss in All Black History and still make excuses.


Over the next 10 days the Worst Ever New Zealand Rugby Union Board will be "SACKED" together with the worst Ever CEO Mark Robinson. Everyone in NZ Rugby, including the players have been "Hiding" and suddenly the "Springboks" brought down the House of Bullshit"

M
Michael 705 days ago

Barnes would appear to be no expert, but judging by the timing of his facile comments he could be called a shit stirrer.


I don't see Cane as a captain, but he is a hard worker. Comparing him with other captains is stupid.


The team is picked, the World Cup is around the corner, so let's just focus on constructive analysis.

P
Pecos 705 days ago

Yes, my post is constructive analysis. I ignore Barnes's nonsense.

P
Pecos 705 days ago

Sam Cane is our best 7 WHEN HE'S FIT & AVAILABLE & should always be selected AS A PLAYER, when available, imo. The problem for me is his captaincy, in this regard he's Mr Invisible.


Since taking over as Skipper he's only played 21 test matches out of a possible 39, & that's not including the times he went off injured, (think Boks at Mt Smart where he missed the whole 2nd half). This "now you see him now you don't" leadership model hurts the ABs. The one thing great leaders do, they always turn up - Umaga, McCaw, Read, to name 3.


Given Cane's injury history though, I expect Ardie will step in (should've been RWC skipper anyway imo).

R
Ruby 705 days ago

One of the core roles of a captain is communicating with the ref and as a diehard Hurricanes and Ardie fan I can tell you that he doesn't have the goods on that front, he doesn't get in the ear of the ref nearly enough, not saying that Sam Cane does but switching to Ardie would just be a lateral move.

D
Damian 705 days ago

Stuart who? Nothing wrong with SC. He won't be able to play every game but if he is fit for the knock outs, no way we would start DP. I'd actually play Luke Jacobson or AS on the open side at put DP at 8, or leave em at home altogether.

B
Bruiser 705 days ago

Barnes is right. Cane is well past it and shouldnt be in the team fullstop

G
GM 705 days ago

Blues fan too, Flatcoat, but if you're blaming Dalton's captaincy for the Blues' capitulation this year, let's also look at Sam's efforts in the first half at Dunedin - and how well the ABs have done without him on the paddock in the previous tests. There's no arguing that when Dalton got a consistent run on the northern tour last year, he was mightily impressive - that's what Stuart Barnes will be measuring Sam by - and rightly finding him wanting, both on the tackle and the carry.

C
ColinK 706 days ago

Sam is back in fine form this year and our best 7. Barnes is a kiwi supporter but has not really observed the transformation of the Abs as closely as our crazy passionate fans have. As with most comments here I fully support him. We are a good chance at the cup for sure and Sam is the leader. He is a torpedo of a defender and he brings the hits hard and often. Just hope his body copes.

A
Andy 706 days ago

Well if anyone would know anything about a player lacking ability to perform at international level.... it would be surely be Stuart Barnes. After all he has form in this particular category & his penchant for unbalanced inaccurate myopic journalism has no equal. Can't honestly even call him a has been either as he didn't get there in the first place to refer to him as that. Handy in one respect though..... I have no trouble sleeping after reading his inspiring drivel.

J
John 706 days ago

Love Barnes hate for all things NZ. If he says Cane is no good then he does it because deep down in his heart he knows Cane is better than anyone in England just like the ABs are better than any team the English can put together. He’s a whiny crybaby sook

S
SC 704 days ago

You really have no clue about Stu Barnes who is a very good rugby journalist and long-time admirer of the All Blacks. I don’t agree with him on this topic- Sam Cane is the best of a pretty mediocre generation of NZ openside flankers, not withstanding Savea who is locked in at 8 for better or worse as it has also been a poor generation of Number 8 too (since 2019).

G
GH 706 days ago

Barnes is a self confessed lover of NZ rugby. It’s about the 3rd or 4th article specifically about Cane in the last 15 months. He had a point last year but Cane has earned this year so far. Dalton hasn’t kicked on after a Great nh tour last year and is still finding his feet a little at test rugby. Although he always tops the tackle count and has an important role to play at the RWC

d
dk 706 days ago

Agree Hamish. Dalton hasn't convinced me he's better than Sam. Definitely not this season. Never felt Barnes was the most astute journalist, no matter what his playing background. Yes, Cane had a horrible missed tackle against Aus but is one of our hardest tacklers and great at the clean. I'd put Harmon above Papali'i on current form.

G
GM 706 days ago

Ruby, you and Hamish should be forced to re-watch the test at Dunedin, when Mark N went through Cane like a dose of salts and set up the Wallabies' first try. Cane misses crucial tackles almost every test - and did last year too - and often gets rag-dolled on the carry. Can't remember the last time either of those happened to Dalton. Putting your Blues aversion to one side, Dalton's the man for the power game. Eddie J's all over the place, but at least he's had the vision to recognise that he chose the wrong open-side (Hooper) and got the captaincy wrong too (four times!). I accept that Cane is a decent man and now he's the only option to captain the larger group, as long as Fossie has the guts not to play him in the big games.

R
Ruby 705 days ago

I don't have an aversion to the Blues, I just hated seeing a massively talented backline stuck behind a flagging forward pack, if the forwards aren't fronting up two things are happening, the ball is being turned over or the backs are receiving slow ball, if the backs are receiving slow ball it means that the defence can rush up and pressure the backs leaving playmakers with 3 options: 1. hold onto the ball, get monstered and likely lose possession, 2. shovel the ball on, likely retaining possession but losing ground, or 3. kick hurriedly, losing possession but making a short territorial gain. And that pretty much sums up Beauden's Super Rugby season, aimless kicking due to a lack of better options, we saw the same thing in the series loss to Ireland before the All Blacks had a coaching overhaul and we can see the difference between Beauden in a blue jersey and Beauden in a black jersey, people were calling for him to not make the Rugby Championship squad, no one wanted him dropped from the World Cup squad.


Dalton's fine, as I said he was the best Blues forward, probably followed by Riccitelli, there's a reason why Sotutu and Akira weren't picked, and Ofa and Nepo are there because de Groot and Lomax are our only standout props and we weren't left with much options, my reasons for preferring Finau are 1. I see Jacobson primarily as a backup at 8, 2. Ardie can cover 7 better than anyone if Cane goes down, 3. Finau can play Lock and 4. Blindside is a more physical role than Openside and I'd like to see more rotation there than the other backrow positions.

F
Flatcoat 705 days ago

I am a long suffering Blues fan since it's inception. I wouldn't pick Papalli over Cane on current form. He had a poor Super season and was found wanting as a leader and a Captain.

R
Ruby 706 days ago

Sam is a fine player and I believe that Shannon, Sam and Ardie is the best balanced trio available, I would've picked Finau over Dalton, the Blues forwards were bad all year and while he was the standout that's really not saying much.


Sam plays more like an 8, Ardie is a 7 who runs well off the back of the scrum, it's a perfectly fine balance, Cane puts in the hardwork at the breakdown (and it shows) which gives us quicker ball and helps force turnovers, and Ardie is able to do the flashier stuff like jackling.


There's a better open side in the squad than Sam but Ardie looks too good at 8, offensively and defensively it helps to have such a strong, dynamic, high workrate player like Ardie at 8, able to break off to either side of the scrum at a moment's notice.


The starting trio should be Frizell, Cane and Savea with Jacobsen on the bench, Dalton is in the squad as injury cover/rotation for small games, it makes no sense to include our 3rd best open side (or 4th, I'm not sure how good Jacobson is there) in a match day 23 with our two best.

A
Another 705 days ago

I disagree about Dalton - who I think is a vital player to be able to replace Cane in the last quarter, and critically, has a higher tackle rate and greater ball carrying ability. That said, I don’t see the point of disrupting the team pattern - and Cane is justifying his selection with form.

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