If All Blacks fans were asked to name their expected squad of 30 before Super Rugby began it’s doubtful Sam Cane and Ben Tameifuna would have figured.

The Chiefs 20-year-olds had big reputations after starring in the world champion New Zealand under-20 team in 2011 but when the Super Rugby season started Cane had just won a starting place and Tameifuna wasn’t even on the bench.

But as the stocks of the Chiefs have risen so have theirs, and they did enough at the All Blacks wider training group camps to earn their place in the squad of 30 for the Ireland series.

“At the start of the season my main goal was to be the starting seven for the Chiefs, and if that went well, then fingers crossed I hoped for an end of year tour spot,” Cane said.

“But to be here for these June tests is unbelievable.”

Cane hails from the small Bay of Plenty town of Reporoa and his talent has been clear to the Chiefs set up since he was 16, when he first joined the team for training. He made his debut for the team in 2010 and has improved further this year.

“Sam’s a young player with an extremely huge tool box. He’s got quite a lot of tools in there. We just need to develop those tools,” coach Steve Hansen says.

“He reminds me a lot of a young Richie (McCaw).”

Tameifuna hadn’t played a Super Rugby game until this year but hasn’t looked back since getting his chance when fellow props Ben Afeaki and Toby Smith were injured in the first round.

“I’ve been told by my parents, take your chances with both hands and make the most of it, so that’s what I’ve pretty much done,” he said.

“Being named in the squad is half the job. The next job is actually getting on the field and winning these games.”