New Zealand captain Sam Cane hits out at critics over ‘hateful, disrespectful comments’

All Blacks have lost two matches in a row in the Tri-Nations, including a first ever defeat by Argentina

New Zealand captain Sam Cane reacts to his side’s defeat by Argentina (Getty Images)

New Zealand captain Sam Cane has hit out at critics of his side after they lost two matches in a row in the Tri-Nations, including a first ever defeat by Argentina on Saturday.

The All Blacks were beaten 25-15 by Argentina in Sydney, one week after they suffered a 24-22 loss to Australia in Brisbane.

The results have been met with fierce criticism from many fans, and Cane insisted the reaction was unnecessary.

“I think we’ve got amazing fans, but we’ve also got some pretty brutal ones,” Cane told Sky Sports.

Read more: Argentina beat All Blacks for first time ever

“With that, you’ve just got to remind yourself that: ‘Hey, they might like to think they know a lot about the game of rugby, but really they don’t.’

“They may know the game from what they see in the 80 minutes, but they don’t see a lot of the stuff that goes on behind the scenes.”

Cane was appointed captain this year and – while he had led the team on three earlier occasions and skippered the Waikato Chiefs in Super Rugby – he has failed so far to have the same impact as his predecessors Kieran Read and Richie McCaw.

The team were also goaded into several displays of ill-discipline in the last two games, which has only amplified the questioning of his leadership.

“To me, if I am having my leadership questioned in public, people’s opinions that really matter to me are my team-mates and my coaches, who I work with every single day,” Cane said.

“I’ve got a lot of confidence from them [that] we’re on the right track.

“For us as a team, it certainly doesn’t help if we’re spending our time online reading hateful, disrespectful comments.”

Reuters