Chiefs starter Xavier Roe back stronger than ever after missing entire season
Chiefs halfback Xavier Roe spent the entire 2023 Super Rugby Pacific season recovering from a shoulder reconstruction on February 25.
His All Blacks and Chiefs flatmate Quinn Tupaea nursed a busted knee following a cowardly attack by Wallabies lock Darcy Swain in Melbourne in 2022.
Roe and Tupaea have been good mates for a decade. They played together in the 2015 and 2016 Hamilton Boys’ High School First XV and then followed each other into the Waikato NPC team and the Chiefs for whom Roe has played 17 times.
“Quinn’s injury was different to mine but going through that tough time with him helped,” Roe told RugbyPass.
“My body feels awesome now. I’ve had no issues with the shoulder. I’ve put on muscle. I’ve had a strong pre-season.”
Tupaea’s gym work has been so determined he’s shattered Chiefs records. Shifting tin has never been a forte of Roe but he brings a vibrancy that could help the Chiefs go one better and take out the title in 2024. Every Stuff pundit has declared the Chiefs favourites.
“I’m not a betting man but I’m not backing anyone else,” Roe said.
“We’ve retained a lot of players and the same coach,” he warned.
“What do I bring? I like to back my instincts. That can be tougher at Super level where the gaps are smaller and the margin for error is higher. I’m not the biggest player so my job is to bring energy.”
A stern test of the Chiefs favouritism happens on Friday night. The opening fixture of the season is a replay of last year’s decider against the Crusaders. The Chiefs beat every team in 2023 but came unstuck (20-25) at the last hurdle on June 23.
“Last year isn’t discussed in team meetings but the players do mention it between each other. We don’t need any motivation for the Crusaders. It’s a great rivalry and you know it will be a cracker,” Roe said.
“The Crusaders are very good at set pieces and they love a maul. We have to be disciplined, physical, and make sure they don’t camp inside our 22.”
Roe will be hoping Cortez Ratima doesn’t camp in the Chiefs nine jersey this season. Ratima featured in all 17 games for the Chiefs last year growing in stature as a back up to Chiefs centurion and All Black Brad Weber. Two years younger than Roe, Ratima is another product of the fabled Hamilton Boys’ First XV.
“I trained harder in the Hamilton Boys First XV than I do at Chiefs. The thing about Ham Boys is you know if you’re not pulling your weight, someone else is. The Chiefs are the same but more mature. That really competitive drive is constant,” Roe said.
“Cortez is an awesome player. I have massive respect for him. He’s bigger than me and more combative. I think we make each other better.”
Born in Hamilton but raised in Pauanui from the age of two, Roe started in the game aged four at the Tairua club, and went on to play Roller Mills for Thames Valley. His parents owned a surf shop and Roe is a keen skater.
Roe was in the Waikato Under 19’s who won the Jock Hobbs National Memorial tournament in 2017. He cracked the New Zealand Under 20s a year later. A brief spell in Taranaki followed. He struggled with a foot injury.
Waikato have been inconsistent since Roe debuted in 2020. They’ve only won half of the 36 games in which he’s featured. However, his best is exceptional. In 2020 Roe memorably scored a try and outplayed All Black TJ Perenara in a 53-28 win over Wellington. In 2021 Roe helped the Mooloos win the NPC Premiership in their centenary season. Last season Waikato was largely off the pace but Roe scored three tries in a 27-12 slaying of Auckland.
Comments on RugbyPass
Why cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to comments