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Cane’s Season Over After Injury Blow

All Blacks captain Sam Cane knew something was not right after being involved in a head clash with David Havili during the clash with Japan in Tokyo.

The 30-year-old could feel blood in his mouth but not too much pain so he played the final 10 minutes of the 38-31 win.

“I got up a bit slow and I knew, without having done my cheekbone before, that I had probably done my cheekbone. I could feel it when I put my hand to my head, and I could feel the blood in my mouth,” Cane said.

“Because it wasn’t too sore and there was only 10 minutes to go, I wasn’t too concerned. But I knew in that moment that it wasn’t too good.

“The game was in the balance at that point. It didn’t restrict my ability to play and perform, so I was happy to carry on.”

Cane had the left side of his face checked by a doctor after the match, with the faint hope that without too much pain, the injury was not a bad one.

However, a CT scan in a local hospital confirmed two fractures: one below his left eye, and another off to the left of it. His tour is over and a visit to a specialist when he returns to New Zealand will confirm whether he will need surgery to repair the breaks.

Cane has suffered several setbacks in his career, including neck and pectoral injuries, and concussion issues. He says the recovery process is always challenging.

“It’s always really shit when it happens,” he added. “It’s just a bit of a mental roller-coaster I suppose; the highs and the lows. The injuries are certainly some of the lows, and knowing the work that goes into getting on the field, you just want to be out there with your teammates doing what you can to perform well and play well in the black jersey.”

/Stewart
Sports news editor