This is how you respond to your detractors. After being called out by an array of pundits, including former outspoken All Black great Sir John Kirwan, Sam Cane stepped out into his home stadium and showed everyone why he has the unconditional faith of his head coach.
And boy was that coach – Ian Foster, who is no stranger to cutting him off from pundits – thrilled with the response from his skipper who led a magnificent All Blacks rebounding performance at FMG Stadium Waikato on Saturday night in their seven tries 53- 3 demolition of Argentina.
The All Blacks had a long list of standout performers in probably their strongest performance of the season, including the force of nature that is hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho, the metronomic quality of No 8 Ardie Savea and a virtuoso display from center Rieko Ioane, as they fired towards the top of an incredibly tight Rugby Championship.
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New Zealand captain Sam Cane played a key role in the 53-3 win over Argentina in Hamilton.
But arguably no one left the mark that Cane made as he superbly embraced all three aspects of his craft – ball carrying, defending and leadership. The captain led the New Zealand defense with 13 tackles (and only one miss), ran 24 yards in nine carries (with a beaten defender and a clean break) and was behind a vastly improved tactical display of Foster’s men.
If there was one game that summed up the captain’s contribution it was his heavy involvement in Jordie Barrett’s 61st minute try where he played multiple times in a surging attack that ended in a draw and a pass to make his fullback waltz.
“I was just proud of how the guys hung on, weren’t tight under pressure and played with a bit of ambition,” Foster noted afterwards. “I was particularly proud of [Cane] for his week. He’s been under fire on various sides, but I thought he might have answered a few questions tonight.
Cane was asked his reaction to this praise. “That’s good. Well done, Foz,” said a player who is about as straightforward as it gets in this All Blacks environment.
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Coach Ian Foster on his skipper: “He’s been under the pump on various sides, but he’s answered questions.”
The 30-year-old No.7, who won his 84th Test cap on Saturday, said it was special to be part of a response like this in front of almost 22,000 fans on his home Super Rugby track . That’s why he stayed out as long as he dared to interact with them after the game.
“We’d be quick enough to raise our hands and say we weren’t proud of the performances we put in at home,” Cane said of the unprecedented three-game losing streak before Saturday’s blistering result. “We appreciate the support we are getting…fans are spending their hard earned money to come out and support you. No matter where it was in the country, we were pretty determined to put one in the house.
“We only have one home game left the rest of the year, so it was a nice internal reward for a team that worked extremely hard behind the scenes.”
Cane also didn’t lose the privilege of being able to share a positive performance with the fans.
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Sam Cane showed he could provide the counters his side needed against the Pumas on Saturday night.
“That’s why so many boys spent so long there. It was acknowledgment of support. And when I walked in [the sheds] there were a handful of Argentinians, with a bit of jersey swapping and the boys sharing a beer too.
Cane also paid tribute to Australian referee Nic Berry for his handling of the game, and in particular the way he governed the breakdown.
“It added to the spectacle and flow of rugby, even though the conditions were much worse than last week. Last week there weren’t too many periods where you sucked air, but the teams worked hard tonight because it was more fluid and the ball could be recycled more quickly.
Cane, of course, was too humble to talk about his own game, but reflected on the pleasure of playing alongside the ever-brilliant Savea who again assumed the captaincy when Cane was substituted in the final quarter.
“There are players you love to fight with – you know they’ll be ready when you need them, and he’s definitely one of them,” the captain said. “I like working with him. He’s taking more of a leadership role all the time, which is great. It’s a beast.
Above all, Savea was not a lone operator in beast mode on Saturday night.
