All Blacks captain Sam Cane will miss the opening round of Super Rugby Aotearoa this weekend.
The Chiefs leader, though, says the back injury that will sideline him is a minor problem and has nothing to do with the broken neck he suffered against South Africa in 2018.
According to the 28-year-old, he could have played this week, but after missing training last week coach Warren Gatland decided that he must sit out Saturday’s clash against the Highlanders.
Named Kieran Read's successor by new New Zealand head coach Ian Foster, Cane says: “It was more just general soreness in my back, it tightened up a wee bit and took a couple of days to settle down.
“Gats [Gatland] took the decision out of my hands.”