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Sam Cane as captain limits the All Blacks' loose forward trio
You have to commend the All Blacks selectors for courage, if nothing else.
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Picking Sam Cane as captain is brave.
It weds you to an openside flanker whose participation is a game-by-game proposition and severely limits your options with the loose trio.
Let’s assume, for argument’s sake, that Cane, Ardie Savea and Akira Ioane are now New Zealand’s first-string line-up.
Of the three, two appear there by default.
Cane is captain and has to play somewhere, while Ioane’s probable inclusion in the first test team to play Ireland probably owes a lot to the lack of other options.
It’s a little bit dire, don’t you think?
And rather unfair on Dalton Papalii, who many regard as having been one of Super Rugby Pacific’s better performers.
But in plumping for Cane as captain, the national selectors have rather stymied Papalii’s progress. After all, they couldn’t possibly put him in the same trio as Savea and Cane?
Not after the way the All Blacks were manhandled by Ireland and France a few months ago.
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That’s just too small a trio to cut it against test rugby’s proper teams.
I don’t want to round on Cane. He hasn’t picked himself.
Durability is not his strong suit and, in the eyes of some, he’s not actually the best player in his position.
We were spoilt by Richie McCaw. He could play through pretty much any injury and there was never any sense that he was a specialist skipper.
He demanded selection and was also the undisputed leader.
We can wish the same for Cane all we like, but there are no comparisons.
I’ve written before that I would install Savea as All Blacks captain. Mostly because his is just about the first name on the team sheet.
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We saw Sam Whitelock captain the side last year, both with and without Cane in the squad.
My admiration for Whitelock is massive, but he is an ageing player with an incredible number of miles on the clock.
As all eyes inevitably turn to the 2023 Rugby World Cup, can we honestly say Whitelock will be in New Zealand’s best team by then?
In picking Cane to captain the team, the selectors have signalled that he’ll be there in 2023. No matter what kind of juggling act his inclusion necessitates.
I have to say I was rather underwhelmed by this 36-man squad.
I don’t see any justification for picking Hoskins Sotutu, Pita-Gus Sowakula, Karl Tu’inukuafe, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck or Stephen Perofeta, among others.
We waste a lot of time debating the merits of men who’ll only be bit-part players, so I’ll try not to do that here.
But I don’t see Sotutu and Sowakula as blindside flankers or as rivals to Savea for No.8. Much as Savea might be a good openside, Cane’s got that spot sewn up now.
I’m a fan of Tu’inukuafe’s, but given his future lies in French club football, I’d go as far as to call his selection nonsensical.
Most of all, though, I fear for Cane. I fear that – through no fault of his own – he’ll become the unpopular captain playing for an unpopular coach.
People will never stop having reservations about Ian Foster being in charge and those I talk to tend to tar Cane with the coach’s brush.
They see Cane cast in a role for which he’s unsuited, just like Foster has been.
I wish Cane luck. I think his selection as captain causes more problems than it solves, but I wish him well with it.
Maybe he’ll prove to be the player and leader New Zealand needs and maybe he won’t.
Either way, the selectors have ensured the captain will be a continual talking point.
Cane would be almost first player picked in my test team, as I want someone who can play test quality rugby on field.
As an Irishman, unless you are wanting to go massive in the pack o don't think you need to worry about size in the back row. Ireland will likely line up with Doris, Van de Flier and Conan. They are all fantastic players but they are a quick and nimble group which is the same as all the options NZ have there. I don't see this one being about massive physical dominance on either side but a matter of which team executes their plans better on the day. I am curious about the centre the blues have, no question he is a massive talent but I've not seen enough of him to know how good he might be.
Tupou Vaai needs to be developed into a full-time loosie. This allows Josh Lord to get into that lock spot. Allowing for more of that desired size that we believe is so necessary for test level.
Above and beyond Foster as a dubios head coach and selector, one would have to be pointing the finger at Grant Fox. I cant help but feel he is the governing influence.
Cane shouldnt even be considerd to be in the team.
He lumbered around the field in the super semi for the short amount of time he was on.
Totally agree he was always some kind of gimmick replacenent for Richie.
Papalii is the pick for 7, more so with Black adder out, but is he free from injury for ireland.
Robinson should have been brought in to replace whitelock, and ekland instead of taylor for hooker. The ekland/robinson lineout combo works.
Good article.
Another excellent article. Hamish Bidwell is comfortably NZ's most intelligent rugby writer. Foster and Cane are a complete hoax, no question. But more of the spotlight should be put on John Plumtree. This is his forward pack, and just look at it. What an absolute embarrassment. This is what you get when you choose a Hurricanes forwards coach (because they always have good forwards, right?! Oh no, wait...). Clue... if your forwards coach thinks "footwork" and "stepping" are the main prerequisites of a pack of forwards, you don't have the right guy for the job.
I have to agree with you regarding Cane.He has had too many injuries.He Is taking up a position where a few others should be given a chance to be there,but he is the Captain.In my opinion ,he shouldn't be there at all
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Another miserable article. Mate you don't have to write these articles if you're so negative. So because Hoskins and Pita-Gus aren't as good as Savea (our best player), they shouldn't be picked? Like what are you on about? Are you suggesting if players aren't as good as the incumbent they should never be picked? Injuries exist mate. Hoskins has shown added physicality alongside his amazing ball skills this year. The justification for Pita-Gus is... we need go forward from our pack because our tight 5 apart from Samisoni are really lacking in grunt and ball carrying. Instead of just critiquing the selection of about 6 players, who all (apart from Karl) have shown really good form with obvious reasons for why the selectors would pick them... why don't you suggest some players that should replace them? You're like the date "doesn't mind" where you go out for dinner but says no to every possible option. Its easy to be miserable but we could read a comment on NZHerald or Stuff for the same information as your articles. You need to step your game up just as much as Fozzie.
Completely agree with you regarding Tu’inukuafe. He won’t be in the WC squad - so why on earth was he picked? Unfortunately more muddled thinking from Foster & co.