Cam Roigard: 'It's moments like that that you can't quite replicate'

It wasn’t the plan for Cam Roigard to play 75 minutes in his return from injury for the All Blacks, but the star halfback made every minute count in a two-try performance to retain the Bledisloe Cup and keep his side’s dream of a Rugby Championship title alive.

The 24-year-old admitted to feeling fatigued when speaking with reporters post-match, with only last weekend’s 33 minutes of NPC action to his name in the past two months, thanks to a stress fracture in his foot, which had sidelined him since July’s France series.

But having taken to international rugby like a duck to water in his debut season just two years ago, Roigard was again right at home as he ran out at Eden Park, and quickly made his presence felt in the contest.

It took just 23 minutes for the Hurricanes star to score in his return, and that effort was followed up with a win-clinching try 51 minutes of game play later.

“It’s awesome to be back. It’s moments like that that you can’t quite replicate and moments that you dream of,” Roigard told the media shortly after full-time.

“I’ve been out for a while, obviously, so to be back and retain the Bled in front of our home fans at Eden Park, it doesn’t get much better…

“Credit to Aussie, we knew that they were battle-hardened with Joe Schmidt; he’s had a massive influence on the team, and they’re a team that doesn’t fold under pressure. They’re a team that’s going to go for the whole 80 minutes.

“We started well, got a pretty good lead, and then they were able to grind their way back before halftime.

“Credit to us, the last few weeks in that second half, we’ve let moments slip, so it was good to take control of it. We managed to get a few penalties and keep the scoreboard ticking over, and then to seal it towards the end, it was good. Really proud of the boys.”

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Reflecting on the 74th-minute try that ended Australia’s hopes of another famous comeback, Roigard was happy to be in the right place at the right time, and said he was prepared to get some stick from his teammates for his celebration.

“The role of the nine is that inside support line,” he said. “I think Jordie (Barrett) got a nice offload to Quinn (Tupaea), I’m just glad he looked over both shoulders and looked inside. It was pretty cool to look up and see all the home fans cheering. I’ve only played a handful of Tests at home, so it was pretty special and I was pretty pumped up…

“It’s a dream come true to score in a winning moment like that, that pretty much sealed it at the time. I might get a bit of grief from the boys after for throwing the ball away; once I scored, I was a bit panic stations because I couldn’t find the ball boy, and I didn’t want DMac (Damian McKenzie) to not be able to get the kick over and put more pressure on us. So, it was pretty short-lived, the celebration.”

With such a seamless return to the Test arena, Roigard put his injury woes firmly in the rearview. Although, he’s no stranger to the rehab room, having overcome a torn patellar tendon in 2024. He credited the All Blacks staff and players alike for making his job easier when asked about his recovery.

“I think that’s just the nature of the All Blacks and the environment that we’ve got. The trainings are at a high intensity that replicates a game. So, if there were cobwebs, I’m able to make a few mistakes at training, but challenge myself to be in the best mindset and position possible to perform.

“I love playing in this team; we’ve got great athletes, some of the best in the world, and I thrive with players around me who are exceptional. I love my time in the All Blacks and love to play with great players inside and outside of me.”

While the Eden Park win saw one trophy locked away for another year, the Rugby Championship is still very much up for grabs. With the All Blacks yet to win consecutive Tests in the tournament, Roigard wasn’t interested in taking the celebrations too far.

“That’s just the Bledisloe, which is special, but we’ve also got an opportunity to win the Rugby Championship as well, results pending. We’re going to celebrate the Bledisloe; it means a lot to this team with a lot of history behind it. I guess once we’ve done that, it’s onto the next job in Perth, and get ready to rip in again.”