Cam Roigard's 'extra weapon' praised in poised debut

With just two matches before the Rugby World Cup, 22-year-old Cam Roigard has made his All Blacks debut. The halfback’s performance impressed many and some pundits believe it may he showed the kind of skillset and impact that could see him claim the No 21 jersey come World Cup time.

With Finlay Christie having occupied the reserve halfback role for the past few seasons and the veteran Brad Weber having pressed his case in an impressive Chiefs campaign followed by an ever more successful All Blacks XV tour, Roigard’s credentials are overshadowed by his competition for the position.

The young Hurricane’s form though is undeniable and his point of difference sets him apart from his peers. That point of difference is his physicality.

At 1.83 meters tall and 88 kg, Roigard’s physical presence is considerably larger than Weber’s or Christie’s – or Aaron Smith’s for that matter – and enables Roigard to lend his weight effectively at the breakdown.

While the halfback naturally avoids involvement in the ruck unless necessary, his willingness to get involved further ensures quick ball for his team while late forwards have shown their readiness to distribute when needed.

Outside of the breakdown, Roigard’s running game saw him sit fifth on the most tries tally in Super Rugby Pacific and third in offloads. He was the only halfback to feature on each list.

Regardless of skillset or talent, the step up to the international level is always a challenge and potentially exposing of a player’s mental readiness. That wasn’t an issue for Roigard according to Former All Black Sir John Kirwin.

“I saw a calmness for a young man in that position,” he told The Breakdown. “I saw a confidence in the way he plays. What I didn’t want to see was rushing, frenetic and running around. He showed maturity for his age.

“What I did want to see was him being the extra loose forward because I think we have a beautiful mix when we have that.

“TJ Perenara’s obviously been injured and hasn’t been able to get in but you think about the amount of times he’s come on in big games and just been that extra loose forward, being a bit more aggressive and I saw that from (Roigard) last night, so I think he’s ticked the box.

“Because then we have variation, we’ve got two very similar players and him who can bring something different.”

Beyond the aforementioned skillset, commentator Tony Johnson spied an additional area where Roigard excels: “And a really, really good left boot. How good is it to have that versatility, that extra weapon, that ingredient that he brings.”

The panel agreed the debutant had benefitted greatly from his time in the All Blacks environment and daily mentorship from an all-time great in Aaron Smith.

Despite claiming to not believe in dead rubber matches, Ian Foster faces a relatively inconsequential match in Dunedin, having locked away both The Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup already.

This allows some potential leeway in selections as a poor result would have no wider implications. That being said, Foster’s side is enjoying their sweetest run of results in years and chasing another dominant win could further enhance the team’s momentum ahead of the tournament.

The coaches’ attitude towards the match will be clear when the team is announced on Thursday, and the halfback selection will be an interesting insight into where Roigard sits in the pecking order.