Cane lacking sharpness, ready to wait for All Blacks start

Published October 26, 2021 8:38 AM

CARDIFF, Wales (AP) — All Blacks captain Sam Cane isn’t expected to make the starting lineup on New Zealand’s end-of-season rugby tour at least until the match against Italy in Rome on Nov. 6. Cane has been out for nearly six months because of a pectoral injury and made his return as a replacement for New Zealand in the 104-14 win over the United States on Saturday. The All Blacks landed in Britain on Monday ahead of the month-long northern hemisphere leg of the tour and Cane says he isn’t yet sharp enough to be playing test rugby. New Zealand plays Wales, Italy, France and Ireland in successive weekends starting in Cardiff on Saturday.