Given that he strolled into the first All Black squad assembly of the season back in May, it wasn't much of a surprise to see Sam Cane named in Scott Robertson's Rugby Championship squad. The former All Black captain faced media on Sunday, answering questions about his lifeline to a better farewell to the black jersey than what was originally thought, as well as exactly what he's been doing this year.
See the full All Black squad and schedule here
That second point is because until he spoke about it, no one was really sure. What was known is that Cane suffered an injury sometime in January while playing for Suntory Sungoliath in Japan Rugby League One, then he was sighted back in New Zealand, before he announced that 2024 would be his last season contracted to NZ Rugby as he'd return to Japan full time. None of what's happened since January had seemed to involve playing rugby, something Cane confirmed.
"It was something that was a bit difficult for me, I was between two different teams who had differing views on how much was shared publicly," he said, referring to Japanese rugby's extreme reticence to release information in a timely manner.
"I played my last game at the end of January, came home for a two-week break…went back and was preparing to play and I started having trouble with my back, sciatica pain went down my leg. I ended up having surgery on my back with a four-month recovery. It all went pretty smoothly and then the last step was playing rugby and being around a rugby team, I had a little bit of training with the Chiefs. I managed to squeeze in a couple of club games for Tauranga Sports, which was awesome reconnecting with the club I played for when I left school, my last club game was in 2011. I really enjoyed that, got exactly what I needed out of it from a personal point of view…I feel pretty ready, still a wee bit off test level obviously."
Sam Cane of New Zealand takes selfies with fans during the 2023 Rugby Championship match between the New Zealand All Blacks and South Africa at Go Media Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand on Saturday July 15, 2023. Copyright photo: Aaron Gillions / www.photosport.nz Photo: Aaron Gillions / Photosport
Cane also confirmed he'll be playing for Bay Of Plenty in a preseason game this Friday. The recall to the All Blacks wasn't something that had been planned from the start of the season, though.
"(Robertson) said it's going to come down to the make up of the squad. He was honest that it was going to depend on that and my focus is just to get back fit and available. I certainly wasn't expecting to get named, and that if I was named it'd be a bonus. If not, I'd be spending the season with BOP."
Cane sits on 95 tests, having led the team 27 times. Despite having so much experience, he revealed that the feeling of getting picked felt "a little bit like the first time".
"Like anyone who's been around and played with the All Blacks for a few years, you never take it for granted. It's hard to put into words exactly how special it is. Every time, it's a little bit different because of the journey or what's required to get there." Cane said.
Sam Cane(C) of New Zealand scoring his try during the South Africa Springboks v New Zealand All Blacks rugby union test match at Ellis Park, Johannesburg, South Africa on Saturday 13 August 2022. The Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship 2022. Photo: Photosport / Christiaan Kotze
The All Blacks play their first Rugby Championship game on 10 August, against Argentina in Wellington. They then fly to South Africa for two tests against the Springboks, a fixture that is close to Cane's heart.
"Nothing excites me more than South Africa in South Africa. It's one of the ultimate challenges as an All Black. There's some massive test matches coming up. Whatever my role is to be played on behalf of the team, I'll look forward to that."
