Jordan and Cane set for recalls as All Blacks switch focus

Will Jordan and Sam Cane appear almost certain to be included in the All Blacks’ Rugby Championship squad which will be announced next Sunday.

Scott Robertson has the luxury of being able to name four extra players in his 36-man squad, and the experienced pair will probably be two of them.

Outside back Jordan, who has recovered from a shoulder injury that has kept him out of all rugby this year, trained with the All Blacks during the England series, as did former skipper Cane, the loose forward who has been troubled by a back injury.

Lock Sam Darry, who performed well off the bench during the All Blacks’ 47-5 victory over Fiji in San Diego yesterday, is another likely to make the extended squad – he wasn’t named in the July squad and served as cover only – with Robertson to add another player, possibly a front rower or halfback.

Robertson confirmed Cortez Ratima, who suffered a head injury and failed an HIA after being slammed into the hard Snapdragon Stadium pitch five minutes before halftime, would have to pass concussion protocols before being available for the first Rugby Championship Test against Argentina in Wellington on August 10.

The head coach also confirmed TJ Perenara would likely be available after a knee injury suffered in the first Test against England. It’s probable that Noah Hotham, who played with confidence off the bench as Ratima’s replacement in San Diego, will stay with the squad as cover.

Robertson wouldn’t confirm the names of the extra four players today but it’s likely the experienced Jordan and Cane will return after their recent roles on the fringes of the squad, and their involvement will make the squad selection for the first Pumas Test even more intriguing. The second Test against Argentina will be held at Eden Park on August 17.

Jordan, who scored a record-equalling eight tries at last year’s World Cup and has scored a remarkable total of 31 in 31 Tests, will likely be Robertson’s first-choice fullback when fit. That will put further scrutiny on the positional future of Beauden Barrett, who started against Fiji but was on the bench behind Stephen Perofeta for the two England Tests.

Many assumed that Cane’s international career had finished after he announced he would leave New Zealand for an extended contract in Japan after this year but it’s very much alive and the All Blacks coaches are eager to retain his knowledge and defensive ability for as long as they can.

Cane will likely play a big part in his team’s two Tests in South Africa in September, an ominous looking assignment against the world champions. He is likely to be a strong candidate for the No.7 jersey, worn yesterday by Ethan Blackadder and in the previous two Tests by Dalton Papali’i.

In the meantime, the selectors will look back at their three July victories with a mixture of relief (in terms of the tight Tests in Dunedin and Auckland) and optimism after the rookies shone in San Diego.

All six debutants will be proud of their performances in the seven-tries-to-on victory. Billy Proctor was a standout in the midfield and will be gaining on incumbent Rieko Ioane, with Caleb Clarke reminding everyone of his finishing ability on the left wing.

Robertson confirmed he and his selectors had plenty to think about.

“That’s the whole point of it, depth, for people to change your thoughts – to go out and perform,” he said.

“Players pick themselves if they’re in good form. There were some great cameos against a really physical Fijian side. It was as physical if not more so than the England series, a lot of the players said.

“The ground was firm, there a lot of big contacts. It was high intensity. It definitely makes selections more interesting.

“Billy has a great ability to hit the ball, great running lines. He’s a quality defender and he sets up his outsides beautifully.

“Obviously, Caleb is a great finisher. He knows his way to the line and has great aerial skills. He’s getting better defensively all the time as well.”

The coaches have plenty of other things to discuss. The lineout was much improved yesterday after misfiring too often in the England series, but, while the coaches were pleased to limit Fiji to one try – by fullback Vilimoni Botitu – it came via a cross-kick, an area of vulnerability after the All Blacks let in two similar scores to England at Eden Park.

“We’ve let a lot of tries in after kicks over the last few weeks and that’s something we’ve got to work on,” Robertson said.

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.