Cane cleans up Chiefs awards
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The New Zealand selection headache for the openside flank position is mounting after Sam Cane cleaned up at the 2015 Chiefs awards in Hamilton.
The pressure is surely increasing on the New Zealand selectors with Cane the in-form openside flank in New Zealand and Richie McCaw still gunning for the same position.
If picked on current play, Cane must be a shoe-in for the New Zealand No.7 jersey. However McCaw, when available, usually captains the New Zealand team and is backed up with a wealth of international experience on the big stage. But with Cane in such devastating form will it be another John Smit – Bismarck du Plessis saga?
Cane made a clean sweep of the awards collecting the Chiefs Player of the Year as voted by the Fans, the Chiefs Player of the Year as voted by the coaches, and the Players Player of the Year.
In other awards on the night Chiefs Rookie of the Year as voted for by the players went to loose forward Michael Leitch. The Japanese captain joked at being 26 years-old and receiving Rookie of the Year but also paid tribute to young dynamic playmaker Damian McKenzie who had impressed him this season.
One of the most prestigious awards, the Chiefs Mana Kotiate went to hooker Hika Elliot. Chiefs captain Liam Messam presented the award to a visibly humbled Elliot.
Elliot, who will be the second Chief to crack the 100 cap mark if he runs on against the Hurricanes, made a miraculous comeback to the game after he sat out 2014 for spinal surgery to fuse disks after seriously injuring his neck playing against Canada for the Maori All Blacks.
To come back from the kind of challenges and adversity that I've faced over the last year and a bit, and just starting again this year, I'm quite proud of that," Elliot told stuff.co.nz.
"It was quite a special moment for me and I said I'm really passionate about this team and this team will always feel close to me.
"We pride ourselves in performing week-in, week-out and it's out there in the media that we like to play with Chiefs mana so to receive that award last night was quite humbling."
The Chiefs will head to Taranaki to host the Hurricanes on Saturday in one of the most anticipated matches this season.
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