Cam Roigard relishes battle with Tate McDermott in potential Test preview

Super Rugby Pacific fans were treated to a potential international preview on Friday night as All Black Cam Roigard went head-to-head with Wallaby Tate McDermott, with the Hurricanes defeating the Queensland Reds 31-27 in a thriller.

Roigard finished the 2024 Autumn Nations Series as New Zealand’s first-choice No. 9, with the halfback starting opposite Antoine Dupont in France, and again against Italy. In those two appearances, Roigard crossed for a double, including a stunner at Stade de France.

While not official, Roigard is widely considered the fan favourite to start for the All Blacks, with the likes of Cortez Ratima and Noah Hotham potential options off the bench. The 24-year-old boasts strong running and passing games, as supporters have seen in Super Rugby.

Roigard was once again prolific in round 15, with the Hurricane scoring a try as the visitors beat the Reds by a hard-fought four-point margin. McDermott had scored two, with Queensland’s skipper continuing to push for a starting spot in the Wallabies ahead of the Lions Series.

Jake Gordon was the first-choice halfback for Australia in 2024, and Test veteran Nic White also stepped up, but McDermott’s recent form has been brilliant. But it seems entirely possible that McDermott could start for the Wallabies this year, potentially opposite Roigard in the All Blacks.

“Always love going up against quality players like Tate,” Roigard said post-game on Stan Sport.

“Across the whole Super Rugby competition, with the way the teams are playing with attacking rugby, the nines are always a threat.

“We saw tonight, he scored two great tries and we probably gave him too much space even though we did talk about it during the week.

“Obviously love going up against people like Tate and if I do go up against him later in the year, that’s just another challenge that we love. That’s why we play footy, to go up against the best.”

While Roigard and McDermott were among the best on ground, it was Hurricanes first five-eighth Ruben Love who got the party started with an early five-pointer. Love scored the opener in the first minute, only for McDermott to strike back for the Reds almost immediately.

Tom Lynagh kicked the Reds into the lead twice, but the Hurricanes scored 14-unanswered points in four minutes, which saw them take a strong lead into the break. Roigard and Billy Proctor crossed for a try each, with the Canes leading 26-13 at half-time.

McDermott completed a double a minute into the second half, with the Queenslanders better overall in that 40 minute period, but the Canes did enough in the end to hang on. Fehi Fineanganofo scored a double, with the winger among those who really impressed.

That win has seen the Hurricanes leapfrog the Reds into fourth-place on the ladder, which could be huge in the playoffs. With a new playoff format allowing for a ‘lucky loser’ in the quarters, the highest-ranked loser in the qualifying finals round which receive a second chance.

If the top three teams – Crusaders, Chiefs and Brumbies – all win their qualifying final in front of their home fans, then the fourth-placed Canes would be the team moving on anyway. But to ensure that, they need to beat Moana Pasifika in Wellington next week.

“With the format, there’s still so much to play for and I think it’s awesome how tight the competition’s been. It’s coming down to the last few games and every game and every point matters,” Roigard reflected.

“There was a lot to play for tonight and really stoked to get the result.

“It was a real ding-dong battle. We stated real well and then let them straight back in again and there was a bit of that,” he added. “We started really poorly at the start of the second half but I think we knew if we sorted out our breakdown or were able to get to the attack that we wanted to, that we’re able to get what we’re after which was points.

“We showed glimpses there, we were able to get to the multi-phase which we were after and score some good points. Fortunate enough at the end to close out the game but I guess moving forward, still plenty to work on.”