Sam Cane working on reaching optimum level in Tests
Italy, on November 6, is shaping as the likely time by which All Blacks back-row Sam Cane will know how quickly he can return to Test match readiness since coming back from his pectoral-shoulder injury.
Cane said from Cardiff on Tuesday that he had got through his substitute appearance against the USA Eagles well, although his timing was not at the level he wanted.
Not at his best yet
But he stressed returning to full Test mode was something that was going to take time. He wasn’t yet at international level, and his goal was to target each day and each week to be a better player.
“Hopefully, if I do that, I’ll get up to speed reasonably quickly, but there’s no expectations or pressure internally, or from the coaches’ point of view, to take off immediately from where I left off,” he told the All Blacks’ official website.
“I’m loving being back in the environment, the high standards, the training level and the intensity, getting help and training with such quality players and coaches. I’m used to that level, I know what’s required, it’s just about making sure I can get my body back to doing it as quick as possible.”
Cane said suffering the injury at the start of 2021 was cruel after what he felt was one of his best seasons for the All Blacks in 2020, especially having assumed the captaincy. A benefit from his injury was that surgery revealed earlier damage that needed to be repaired and dealt with.
It also had benefits in allowing him to have a holiday in New Zealand’s South Island while also taking on studies for a diploma in agri-business.
Having got the tour underway in Washington DC, the team is now excited to come up against the Six Nations champions this weekend as they test themselves against northern sides.
With four captains fielded during the 2021 season in his absence, Cane, who was the All Blacks’ first-choice skipper in 2020, said it was good for the side in terms of leadership and overall depth.
By not having the extra weight of captaincy, he added that it was nice to focus on achieving a high level of performance. It was a common-sense decision not to have that responsibility when he wasn’t exactly where his game needed to be.
The side completed their first full day in Cardiff on Monday, having travelled immediately after their game against the USA Eagles, and then bussed from Heathrow to Cardiff. They had a gym session and trained at an indoor facility after their match review from Saturday.
Wales have had injury problems in the lead-up to Sunday’s game, and their line-up is set to be different in several areas from when they last played for the bronze medal at the 2019 World Cup in Japan.