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Steve Hansen backs Cane’s skipper spell

Aaron Goile

Sir Steve Hansen believes Ian Foster has made the right call in holding the All Blacks captaincy back from Sam

Cane for the team’s northern tour.

Cane has linked back up with the national squad following surgery to his pec and shoulder in April, and is set for his first test of the year today, named on the bench in the team to face the United States in Washington DC.

However, earlier this month All Blacks coach Foster revealed that the man he named early last year to assume the leadership from the retiring Kieran Read would not walk straight back into the role of skipper, opting to instead ease him back into the fold without any extra burden.

It was then announced on Wednesday (NZT) that Sam Whitelock would operate as the on-tour captain, himself taking the role back from Ardie Savea, who had filled in during the Rugby Championship in Australia when Whitelock was absent for the birth of his third child.

And it’s a move which has the backing of former All Blacks coach Hansen.

Speaking to the Sunday Star-Times fresh into a twoweek MIQ stint in Rotorua following five weeks in Japan in his coaching consultancy role with Toyota Verblitz, Hansen labelled his former assistant Foster ‘‘smart’’ for the way he’d gone about things in the leadership department.

‘‘Sam’s got to come back and play some football,’’ Hansen said. ‘‘He doesn’t need the pressure of being the captain. I think Fozzie’s been quite smart, just saying, ‘Well, look, you get yourself sorted, son, and when we think you’re ready to come back in and not only cope with the playing, but also the leadership, we’ll look at it’.’’

And the man who took New Zealand to World Cup glory in 2015, and also coached at four other editions of the global showpiece, is not one bit concerned that Cane may go into the 2023 event in France somewhat undercooked in the captaincy department.

Since the last World Cup the All Blacks have played 16 tests, to become 21 by the end of this year, and Cane has played in, and led, in just six (for three wins, a draw and two losses).

Along with Whitelock and Savea, Aaron Smith and

Brodie Retallick have both also had the ‘captain’ beside their name this season, and Cane could still go to the

World Cup with 20-plus tests as skipper under his belt, but Hansen sees the shared responsibility as a positive anyway.

‘‘There’s nothing wrong with his leadership at all, and I think it’s great that other people are getting the opportunity to lead,’’ he said.

‘‘As a result of that you get more ownership of the team and it spreads through all the group. So I don’t think it’s an issue at all.’’

Adding to the Cane conundrum is just how competitive the loose forwards stakes also are at present. The 74-test openside, who is coming off a sole Heartland Championship outing before jumping back in the test arena, joins a group consisting of Savea, Ethan Blackadder, Dalton Papalii, Luke

Jacobson, Akira Ioane, Hoskins Sotutu and the returning Shannon Frizell. ‘‘The fact that it’s such a long tour, there’ll be a need for rotation anyway,’’ Hansen said. ‘‘So I’m sure they’ll look to use certain games to play certain people and find out more about them.’’

After witnessing “some of the best rugby I’ve seen them play in a long time” during their Rugby Championship title win, Hansen knows the All Blacks won’t be happy with their performances against the Springboks, though doesn’t expect the northern hemisphere sides to try and replicate a similar high-ball attack which at times troubled the men in black.

13 SUNDAY NEWS WORLD

en-nz

2021-10-24T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-10-24T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/281870121642780

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