The return of Sam Cane lends needed 'calmness' to All Blacks bench

All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson has injected some experience into his bench unit for the second round of The Rugby Championship in search of an improved performance.

The change comes after a final quarter in which his side was outscored 10-0 en route to just their second-ever loss to Los Pumas on home soil.

Stepping in for his season debut to lend some composure and leadership in that final period is former captain Sam Cane, and as Robertson explained the selection on Thursday, it’s a case of cometh the hour, cometh the man.

“He’s so experienced and he’s got the ability to play a couple of positions and he knows what these big Test matches are about,” Robertson said at the team naming press conference.

“His influence on the group, his little bits of gold, just with the timing of the information, how it’s delivered, his tone is pretty special.

“So, another opportunity for him in the black jersey.”

Bringing composure to the big moments had been Cane’s responsibility under former All Blacks head coach Ian Foster, but may be needed now more than ever with the departures of the team’s most experienced players following last year’s World Cup.

Robertson is hoping Cane’s experience can rub off on the newcomers in this year’s team.

“I think calmness is something that Sam has got in his game, and great messages at the right time.”

Cane himself says being around the team throughout the Steinlager Series, while not officially a squad member, allowed him to get a feel for the new coaching regime and the new leadership structure within the team.

Eager not to step on Scott Barrett and his vice-captains’ toes, Cane’s familiarity with the new leadership group has helped him contribute where appropriate.

The return coming off the back of another back injury makes this weekend’s selection a special achievement for the 32-year-old.

“A lot of hard work has gone into getting back to this stage,” Cane said. “I was pretty nervous for the team naming and pretty stoked to be able to drag a spot on the bench. Just looking forward to being out there.”

He says while it was an arduous recovery, he never lost faith.

“I’m not sure I ever thought that far ahead and thought of worst-case scenario. I always believed that I would get back and that I had plenty to offer. I still back my ability.

“Going through rehab, from my experience, you can’t think of the end result. It seems so far away at times. Often it’d just be about getting through that training week and finishing the week in a better place than where you started. Often you just reset and sometimes you literally do the same week again and try and do it a bit better.”