Jordan and Cane set for recalls as All Blacks shift focus

It looks almost certain that Jordan and Sam Cane will be included in the All Blacks’ Rugby Championship squad, which will be announced next Sunday.

Scott Robertson has the privilege of fielding four additional players to his 36-man squad, with the experienced duo likely to comprise two players.

Winger Jordan, who has recovered from a shoulder injury that has kept him out of rugby this year, trained with the All Blacks during the England series, as did former captain Cane, the free-forward who is nursing a back injury.

Lock Sam Darry, who was a solid substitute in the All Blacks’ 47-5 win over Fiji in San Diego yesterday, is another player likely to make the extended squad. He was not named in the July squad and was only a reserve. Robertson will add another player, possibly a front rower or halfback.

Robertson confirmed that Cortez Ratima, who suffered a head injury and failed a HIA test after being thrown into the hard pitch at Snapdragon Stadium five minutes before half-time, will have to complete a number of concussion protocols before he is available for the first Rugby Championship Test against Argentina in Wellington on August 10.

The head coach also confirmed that TJ Perenara was likely to be available after a knee injury he sustained in the first Test against England. It is likely that Noah Hotham, who played confidently off the bench as Ratima’s replacement in San Diego, will remain in the squad as cover.

Robertson would not confirm the names of the extra four players today, but it is likely that the experienced Jordan and Cane will return after their recent roles on the fringes of the squad, and their involvement will add further intrigue to the squad for the first Pumas Test. The second Test against Argentina is at Eden Park on August 17.

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

Many assumed Cane’s international career was over after he announced he would be leaving New Zealand after this year to take on an extended contract in Japan. However, Cane’s career is alive and well and the All Blacks coaches are keen to retain his knowledge and defensive skills for as long as possible.

Cane is likely to play a major role 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 contender for the number 7 shirt, worn by Ethan Blackadder yesterday and Dalton Papali’i in the previous two Tests.

In the meantime, the selection committees will look back on their three wins in July with a mixture of relief (given the thrilling 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 win with seven tries to their credit. Billy Proctor was a standout in midfield and will overtake the incumbent Rieko Ioane, with Caleb Clarke reminding everyone how good he is at finishing down the left flank.

Robertson confirmed that he and his selection committee had plenty of food for thought.

“That’s the whole point, depth, that people change your mind – that you go out and perform,” he said.

“Players pick themselves when they are in good form. There were some great cameos against a very physical Fijian team. It was as physical, if not more physical than the England series, many players said.

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

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

“It’s clear that Caleb is a great finisher. He knows his way around the line and has great aerial skills. He’s also getting better and better in defence.”

The coaches have plenty of other things to talk about. The lineout was much improved yesterday after it went wrong too often in England’s series, but while the coaches were happy to restrict Fiji to one try – by fullback Vilimoni Botitu – it came via a cross-kick, a vulnerable area after the All Blacks had conceded two similar scores against England at Eden Park.

“We’ve allowed a lot of attempts after kicks in the last few weeks and we need to work on that,” said Robertson.