Sam Cane feels ‘really lucky’ after All Blacks milestone and hails ‘special’ next-gen
Sam Cane spoke glowingly about the Wellington crowd and the next generation of All Blacks.
All Blacks flanker Sam Cane hailed the Wellington crowd after his side’s 33-13 victory over Australia in his 100th Test match.
Cane became the 13th player to represent New Zealand in 100 Test matches on Saturday when he ran out in front of a packed Sky Stadium.
The Bledisloe Cup clash is set to be the 32-year-old’s final match on home soil in the black jersey as he has signed a deal to rejoin Japanese club Suntory Sungoliath.
His All Blacks‘ teammates gave him a perfect send-off as they ran in five tries to one to seal an epic 33-13 victory over the Wallabies and end their six-year drought for a victory at the Cake Tin.
‘I feel really lucky’
Cane produced yet another hard-nosed performance in his final appearance on home soil as he got stuck into the breakdown and dived on several loose balls during his 64-minute cameo before being given a standing ovation from the crowd and his coaching staff.
“I just feel really lucky, really lucky to be able to have this moment at home in New Zealand in front of these incredible fans,” Cane told Sky Sports NZ after the match.
“I feel like this is the best I’ve ever seen Wellington, to be honest, the buzz around the stadium has been amazing.
“Those 30 seconds running out [by myself], I really enjoyed the moment and the smile comes with it [after the win].”
Cane could still be selected for the All Blacks during the November Tests after announcing that this will be his final year of international rugby.
The retiring flanker has been a standout for the men in black since making his Test debut back in 2011 and, even after a horrific neck injury, he fought his way back into the squad.
All Blacks centurion list: Sam Cane becomes the 13th legend to play 100 Test matches
Next-gen
Looking to the future of the All Blacks back-row, Cane praised the quality of the next generation with rookie Wallace Sititi enjoying a breakout campaign for Scott Robertson’s team.
“They’re pretty special athletes; quicker, more explosive and the guys coming through are just getting better and better,” the former captain said.
“They’re more professional from a younger age but it never changes, though, they’re just great blokes. With the All Blacks that’s one of the great things about being a part of this team for so long, which is the awesome people, and I don’t think that’ll ever change.”
The victory over Australia means that the All Blacks move into second place in the Rugby Championship standings, a position they could retain if Argentina fail to upset the Springboks in the final game of the tournament.
