Former All Black’s ‘logical choice’ to replace Sam Cane

Questions remain among the New Zealand rugby public about Sam Cane’s participation in the All Blacks’ Northern Tour, but a less relevant question seems to be who will be in line to take the former captain’s place if he is not selected for selection.

While Cane returned from injury to re-establish himself as the team’s starting open flanker and earn his 100th Test cap in the second Bledisloe Cup match, the 32-year-old’s upcoming three-year deal in Japan has raised the question of whether his place on the tour would be better utilized in the case of a young, emerging player.

From Scott Robertson to Scott Barrett, there has been no shortage of praise for Cane’s impact on the All Blacks landscape in 2024, both off and on the field.

However, the changing of the guard is inevitable and it is up to the coaches whether to postpone it until 2025 or to usher in a new era with the opportunities that lie ahead of them.

On the other hand, Hurricanes flanker Peter Lakai leads the discussion.

Touted as a future All Black for several seasons, the 21-year-old has gone from strength to strength in the New Zealand NPC competition after spending the July series as part of the wider All Blacks training group.

Former All Black James Parsons is one of many who claim that if Cane is to miss selection, Lakai is the player Scott Robertson will need to bring in at the end of the 2024 international season.

“He was the one in the squad, so when he got injured, he was called on. And you can’t say he performed poorly with the NPCs,” Parsons smiled on the screen Aotearoa Rugby Pod.

“What I really liked about him in NPC mode is that he clearly has had some tweaks made to him, his play has become much tighter and he seems to be really dominating collisions.

“So we see how much time he spent there. He’s probably learning what it takes to become a great international seven.

“He’s smart enough to know, ‘If I want to get elected, this is what I need to show them.’ It’s an understatement, but the guy averages about 18 tackles per game, most of them are dominant, and I know he’s an NPC, but he’s still a young man.

“He just keeps getting better and simplifying his craft to the point where you can see his growth and maturity. So it is a logical choice.”

The potential inclusion of the young openside flanker at the expense of Cane would likely spark a new selection race for the vacant black number 7 jersey.

Five of the seven loose forwards in the Rugby Championship squad have experience of donning Richie McCaw’s old jersey, but for Parsons the prime candidate is the obvious one.

“I think it’s a three-horse race and if you do well, you’ll probably stay in that jersey.

“You would think Dalton (Papali’i) would get the first chance if he was fit and available because I don’t know how you can go back in time if he hasn’t played. Razor was really happy with it.

“But this performance would have to be spot on.”

The panel weighed the pros and cons of other players, including Ethan Blackadder and Luke Jacobson. The former was praised for his high work efficiency, while the latter’s case was presented as a similar replacement for Cane due to his reputation and the nickname “concrete arms” resulting from his fighting skills.

It was felt that Jacobson’s recent success coming off the bench as an impact player had potentially worked against him, removing him from the race for a starting spot.

“In terms of numbers, Ethan probably fits the high breakdown model, while Dalton is a ball carrier, power forward and strong athlete. It’s just about what balance they want to achieve. They’re different players.”