Dejected All Blacks captain Sam Cane after losing the first test against the Springboks. Photosport
Dejected All Blacks captain Sam Cane after losing the first test against the Springboks. Photosport
There have been times this season when Sam Cane resembles a broken man.
Understandably so, too. Cane cares deeply and with results descending, he carries a significant burden for those as All Blacks captain.
The darkest moments as skipper come immediately following successive defeats, when Cane must front and thedepths of the All Blacks decline, the overriding disappointment, is impossible to ignore.
For those at the coalface, though, each new week offers another chance to rectify the cause.
Despite the clouds of doom hovering over the All Blacks, Cane continues to believe they are on the cusp of a response.
Cane openly displays his emotions and, to his credit, always speaks with honesty. As the sun drenched the All Blacks training session at St David's Marist School in Johannesburg on Tuesday, Cane admits he feels the weight of a nation to lead the revival in rugby's toughest assignment, the Springboks at Ellis Park, this weekend.
"You certainly feel it – it's impossible not to. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't," Cane said. "Pressure has always been part of being an All Black. Without a doubt it's extra pressure. You can look to see it as a burden or embrace it and see it as an extra challenge. That's the only way you can view it."
All Blacks captain Sam Cane moments before Angus Ta'avao was sent off in the second test against Ireland. Photo / Getty
After five losses from their last six tests few expect the All Blacks to upset the world champions. Written off, then, and with their coach's tenure hanging by a thread, a case could be made they have nothing to lose. Cane, though, doesn't buy any such suggestions.
"I'm not seeing it that way at all. There's a trophy on the line. We're playing at Ellis Park and we're desperate to improve and put out better performances than we are. There's as much on the line as there's ever been."
From their ongoing attacking and catch-pass skill struggles in the face of suffocating rush defence to the Springboks dominance at the breakdown and superiority under the high ball, the All Blacks appear a long way from rediscovering their best. Cane, though, reiterated Ian Foster's polarising view that with a few minor adjustments, the All Blacks can stop the rot.
"If we sort out those contestables. We had a pretty sharp training run we're starting to put a lot of those things right and make improvements so it's been a good few days.
"I thought we defended really well considering everything. I don't think we're far off. A few people have said it wasn't an improved performance but in house we've looked at a lot of things and there were some definite steps in the right direction. The whole focus is making sure we keep taking those steps because we're not far off."
In the wake of last week's 26-10 defeat at Mbombela Stadium Cane stood in the sheds and delivered a post-match message designed to shift the mood of his men from one of frustration to resolve.
"As disappointing and as much as it hurt there's nowhere else we'd rather be as a team than here and having another crack at them.
"If we were on the plane home and had that to dwell about it would've been pretty tough but to be able to get back on the horse straight away and focus on having another crack that's hugely exciting. Without doubt some of the breakdown work is an area of focus."
Amid the barrage of criticism and speculation surrounding a seemingly imminent change of coach, Cane and his leadership group are attempting to keep the team zoned in on the daunting task at hand.
"It's important to remind the boys what's important and where to focus their energy and make sure they're not consumed by outside noise and opinions. "My job as captain is to lead on the field and on the training park; to make sure we're tight as a group and living and training as we want to be. I can hand on heart say that's the case at the moment which is pleasing. Hopefully because of that we'll start getting what we want on the field."
Cane's Ellis Park memories centre on the greatest test of all time in 2013, when he came off the bench as the All Blacks prevailed 38-27 in a torrid contest to clinch the Rugby Championship title. On that occasion, a 747 plane flew low over the stadium roof multiple times prior to kickoff to further ignite the rousing atmosphere.
"You'll have another 30,000 than last week and we're up higher so the air is slightly thinner. I remember driving in and the fans are slapping on the bus and making plenty of noise. It's a hostile environment but we quite like playing in places like this that really test you. It feels like 15 out there versus the Springboks and the whole crowd so they're massive challenges."
That challenge is no easier with the Springboks welcoming the man mountain that is Duane Vermeulen back to start at No 8.
Cane predicts the Boks will largely stick with their limited yet highly effective forward dominated, kick-heavy tactics. Seven days on, the All Blacks will hope to have more answers.
"They know their game and they execute it extremely well. There were 15 odd contestable kicks and we only took five of them. They had great success in that area so I expect them to keep going there.
"They had good success at the breakdown so we expect them to roll out a lot of the same stuff but we would be naïve to think they're not looking for other opportunities to exploit us in other areas."
