Cane savours final shot at Boks

Sam Cane will get an unexpected farewell clash against the Springboks when he lines up for the Barbarians in Cape Town on Saturday.

The former All Blacks captain, who retired from Test rugby after the 2024 season, starts in the No 7 jersey for the invitational side and says he’s grateful for one more crack at the world champions.

Cane led the All Blacks in the 2023 World Cup final in Paris, where he was red-carded in their 12-11 loss to the Boks. He also featured in both of New Zealand’s Rugby Championship defeats in South Africa last year.

Now based in Japan with Tokyo Sungoliath, the 33-year-old says the opportunity to face the Boks again – this time at Cape Town Stadium – is something he didn’t expect.

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“When we first got asked to play I think a few of us were thinking … ‘man, they could have teed up a different game, not the world champions!’… but a lot of us who have played the Springboks before love the challenge of playing them. It’s awesome that it’s here in Cape Town,” Cane told the media on Thursday, as quoted by News24.

“I thought last year was going to be my last chance to play the Boks, but I get one more chance this weekend. And to become part of a rugby club that’s pretty exclusive – by invitation only.”

Cane admitted he used to take tours to South Africa for granted earlier in his career when also playing for the Chiefs in Super Rugby.

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“We were coming here every year. I remember being super excited coming here my first year … and then as you do it year on year and a couple of times a year … you still enjoy the trip away … but it wasn’t until Covid hit and everything changed.

“There was like a four-year period where I didn’t play in South Africa. And then we had that tour here last year when we played back-to-back Test matches. I just thought, ‘man, it’s been a long time since I’ve done this’.

“It made me appreciate how awesome these types of tours are. The challenge of the All Blacks and the Springboks, the rivalry and the history. And then playing in some iconic stadiums over here is tough to beat … it’s just not the same as a three-hour flight across to Australia, which is ultimately what Super Rugby is currently.”