All Blacks: Cam Roigard reveals ‘real honest conversations’ after record-breaking Springboks loss
Four returning players, including Cam Roigard, were added to the All Blacks’ roster for the much-anticipated Bledisloe Cup match, giving them a welcome boost ahead of their Test matchup with the Wallabies.
In addition to Roigard, other scrum-halfs Cortez Ratima, Codie Taylor (hooker), and Patrick Tuipulotu (second-row) have recovered from injuries and are ready to play when they play their trans-Tasman counterparts at Eden Park.
Following four rounds of play in this year’s Rugby Championship, all four of the participating countries are still in the running to win the coveted Southern Hemisphere competition.
Rugby Championship is evenly poised
The Wallabies are leading the standings with 11 points, one point ahead of the All Blacks and Springboks, and two points ahead of Los Pumas. Both teams have won and lost as many Test matches.
After losing to their bitter rivals the Springboks 43-10, a record-breaking Test loss, in their last game two weeks ago, New Zealand will be keen to recover because they know they cannot afford another loss.
Roigard suffered a stress fracture in his right foot during New Zealand’s three-Test series against France in July, which prevented him from playing in the early stages of the Rugby Championship.
But he successfully returned to action for Counties, scoring a try. Manukau was substituted in last week’s NPC triumph against Auckland in Pukekohe, and it appears that he will be hurried back into the starting lineup for New Zealand’s match against the Wallabies.
And as the All Blacks aim to win the Bledisloe Cup for the 23rd consecutive year, Roigard is aware that he must start strong.
To continually make New Zealand proud, we want to perform. We are eager to perform on Saturday in a way that will honor the nation and ourselves after having some difficult talks on Sunday and Monday.
“The boys are recharged. After we started reviewing the defeat to the Boks, there was a slight advantage and some frank discussions. They were discussing norms and expectations regarding our mistakes and our plans for improvement.
It’s not a review you’d like. After a loss, things are usually difficult, and you may have to take a closer look at yourself.
‘Everyone across the group has individual accountability’
No detail is overlooked, and each member of the team bears personal responsibility as part of the All Blacks standard. There were several levels to the review, so it wasn’t brief and to the point.
Furthermore, Roigard is not underestimating Joe Schmidt’s team, despite the Wallabies finishing second to the All Blacks in Bledisloe Cup competition for over 20 years.
