It was the expression of a man who knew he’ddone his job. Pretty bloody well, too. It was also probably a product of relief – the pressure, the criticism and the expectations were about to be filed under “Past”. Fittingly, Cane was one of the All Blacks’ best in a test awash with errors and, just as fittingly, his farewell match was a bit like his career – successful but flawed.
His record as a player: 82 wins in 104 tests (78.8%) and as a skipper, 66%. That doesn’t quite compare to the records of others, particularly All Blacks captains with more than 20 tests – Richie McCaw, Reuben Thorne, Tana Umaga, Kieran Read and Sean Fitzpatrick were all in the 80%-plus bracket.
It didn’t help that he came on to the scene following the profound success of McCaw and Read. The other problem was that a significant section of the New Zealand rugby public did not always believe he was the best No 7 in the land.
This column was often part of that. I’ve always felt Ardie Savea was the better No 7, offering far more going forward. I also felt that, once he’d announced his retirement to take effect at the end of this season and his journey to Japan, Cane should have made way for the new openside flanker (whoever that might have been) to gain valuable test experience. The same goes for the admirable TJ Perenara, a committed All Black from his head to his toenails.
Cane is one of those players you find in almost all rugby teams. There’s always one who throws himself into his tackling and ball-stealing, a rock who inspires confidence, security and, yes, brotherhood by selfless risking of life and limb in service of the team.
Sam Cane, Kieran Read and Richie McCaw with former Prime Minister Sir John Key in the dressing room following the 2015 Rugby World Cup semifinal against South Africa. Photo / Getty Images
If you needed a word to describe him, it would have to be “courage”. The man came back to international rugby from a broken neck, for Pete’s sake – and it must be said, after my quibbles about his presence this season, that Cane paid his way. He had another good test against Ireland and his display against Italy was among the All Blacks’ best on a scrappy day.
He did what he normally does – if it moved and spoke Italian, it was carpeted. His workrate was high as usual, he linked well and even pulled off a couple of good carries. He was one of the few to compete well at the breakdown in what seemed to be a complacent and/or tired All Blacks effort, often outpointed in that phase.
Coach Scott Robertson defended his choice of his strongest side instead of blooding less-experienced players, saying the team was so upset at losing to France, they wanted a chance to put things right. It didn’t look like that, did it? They looked and played like a team who thought they should beat Italy easily; minds on boarding the plane home.
Cane was one of the few who could be exempted from that. Ethan de Groot, Asafo Aumua, Patrick Tuipulotu, Cam Roigard (after a shaky start) and Will Jordan were probably the only other members of that group.
Robertson’s conservatism aside, the match rather encapsulated the All Blacks’ curate’s-egg season (good in parts) and their inability, so far, to play with a higher level of consistency. Cane did and that, at least, helped end his career on a good note.
He is perhaps right up there with Reuben Thorne and Taine Randell as the most criticised and misunderstood All Blacks skippers. Cane’s decency and spirit as a man are well known, but many Kiwis saw him as a less effective leader, particularly after McCaw and Read.
Thorne – remember the “Captain Invisible” taunts? – was in the same mould, a busy tackler, a grafter in the tight-loose stuff, a high workrate, a big scrum presence and a lineout option; he had an 87% win record as skipper, but even that didn’t save him from the same sort of censure Cane has endured.
Like Cane, Thorne made a comeback to international rugby, recalled in the 2006 season because of his mana and value as a mentor. Cane’s appearance in this All Blacks side, shorn of several top players from the year before, was valuable in a way that few outside the All Blacks camp can truly appreciate.
He leaves test rugby in the full knowledge that what all we outsiders think doesn’t really matter. He knows his colleagues and coaches admired him – and that’s a farewell gift forged in the furnace of test rugby. Some players bring speed, some special skills, some have the steel of hard-edged physicality. Some, like Sam Cane, bring spine. Lots of spine.
