Sam Cane: Commander and Chief

It wasn't a hard decision for the All Black selectors to make Sam Cane captain for the test against Namibia.

The alternative was Liam Messam, a player with experience and mana, but a player who will be with the Sevens team for most of next year.

Being ready for the future has been a theme in Steve Hansen's coaching tenure but Cane had just about won the vote before that came into consideration.

The 23-year-old is someone whom the All Blacks coaches have considerable faith will push on to become a giant of the game, both as a player and captain.

It is important to recognise that the All Blacks don't see playing ability as being detached from leadership ability.

In their world, leadership starts with performance and it has been an unspoken belief in the side that the captain has to be the best player, or at least, the captain has to be driven to prove he's the best player each time he plays.

No one in management held any qualms about either Cane's form or mental fortitude.

Yet, the first part seems to be the one that catches people by surprise and unquestionably it's largely due to the giant shadow cast by Richie McCaw.

Sam Cane shakes hands with Richie McCaw. Photo / Getty Images

The veteran has set the bar outrageously high for opensides, making it a tough business for other No7s to win due recognition.

In the 1.89m, 104kg Cane's case, the problem is confounded by his lack of opportunity. A bad habit it may be, but the rugby world tends to still view quantity as being synonymous with quality.

Those who don't regularly play 80 minutes are judged to have not been afforded the opportunity to do so because they are not good enough. That taints any objective assessment of Cane as he has started only 11 times in his 25 test appearances.

Hansen clearly applies a different assessment.

"I don't think he's ever played poorly for the All Blacks," Steve Hansen on Sam Cane. Photo by Phil Walter / Getty Images

"He's a good leader," Hansen says.

"The most important part of leadership is playing well and he does that good. I don't think he's ever played poorly for the All Blacks and he has got a tricky job in the team following the skipper. Whenever he gets his opportunity, he plays well. He's got a good rugby brain. He's happy to voice his opinion and lead by example."

Quite how well Cane has played this year has been overlooked. He had the campaign of his career for the Chiefs in Super Rugby. Measured across the season, Cane did more than McCaw, played better and had greater impact. It's not, though, that 2015 represented a huge shift in Cane's form.

His impact was more noticeable not so much because he brought a wider range of skills, which he applied with more accuracy - although he did - it was due largely to his increased game time and regular selection. Cane's form drove his confidence, his confidence drove his form.

"First and foremost I want to lead by my actions on the field and do that consistently well," said Cane in regard to his likely captaincy style at Olympic Park.

"That's always my focus when I play. Nothing will change in that respect for this game and the more you do that, the more you gain the respect of your peers and the guys that matter."

Cane was told 24 hours before the team announcement that he would not only be playing, but would also be captain.

The news took him aback a little, but the speed with which he processed it only confirmed to Hansen that the selectors had made the right decision.

Cane shares with McCaw the trait of being able to stoically underplay things. Whatever is happening beneath the surface is not reflected above it, and that's been a big factor in Cane's elevation.

Asked to explain what sort of mental fortitude Cane has shown in his time as an All Black, Hansen said: "His ability to cope with the pressure that comes with being an All Black.

"When he first came in he was only a baby and not a lot of people knew a lot about him. He coped with that well. He coped with all the criticism early in his career from the media because they didn't know him.

"But he never deviated off the game plan. To me that is mental fortitude - to stay on task when everything around you is imploding."

It would make a great yarn if Hansen could say he knew the moment he picked the youngster that he was one day going to be an All Black captain.

"I could sit here and say that I did. But it would be bullshit," Hansen said.

"I just thought he was a pretty special player. It's an overwhelming place to come into the All Blacks and special players sometimes don't make it. ... He had the mental fortitude to cope with it quickly and he thrived in the environment. And after a while we thought he was capable of being a leader so we brought him into the leadership group."