All Blacks flanker Sam Cane is warning that his on field partnership with Ardie Savea will only continue to grow, leading into this weekend's Rugby World Cup semi-final against England.
With coach Steve Hansen unable to leave out either of the two specialist openside flanker's, both Savea and Cane have been shoehorned into the same side, occupying either side of the scrum as part of the All Blacks' first-choice side.
The results have been irresistible, with Cane's uncompromising approach now complemented by Savea's tenacity and abilities both with and without the ball.
Speaking to media this afternoon, Cane was quizzed about his partnership with Savea, confident that there's more to come.
"I'd love to think we've got room for improvement," Cane said.
"Ardie's been working really hard on some of his set piece work, which a six is required to do a little bit more.
"Bar the set-piece, our roles are pretty interchangeable, whether that's attack or defence obviously, you're just doing your role.
"I think we've definitely got room for improvement, but things have been going alright."
Cane continued to add that his and Savea's combination was no fluke, with hours of effort put in between the two flankers - on and off the field, the results paying off in spades.
"When I think about the hard work we put in at training, all the little catch-ups we have to make sure we're singing off the same song sheet.
"Ardie's a special player in his own right, with a pretty special skill-set.
"We've already seen him in all three loose forward positions in the All Black jersey."
Cane and Savea are both expected to keep hold of their starting spots for this weekend's semi-final against England in Yokohama.
SHARE ME