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Watch: Cam Roigard impresses after blitzing All Blacks' pre-season Bronco
After farewelling some icons of the game, including veteran Aaron Smith, at the end of last year’s heartbreaking Rugby World Cup campaign, the All Blacks have ushered in the dawn of a new era.
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New coach Scott ‘Razor’ Robertson gathered 22 All Blacks for a two-day camp in Auckland this week, which offered these players an opportunity to impress during some pre-season testing.
Prop Fletcher Newell made headlines in New Zealand after squatting more than 250kg in the gym while others watched on in both awe and support. Newell has made his mark – and he’s not alone.
While a player like Aaron Smith is irreplaceable in a way, All Blacks fans will be thrilled to hear the Test centurion’s heir apparent is primed and ready to go after a record-equalling fitness blitz.
According to the All Blacks’ Instagram page, rising star Cam Roigard has drawn level with playmaker Beauden Barrett in the pre-season Bronco after taking just 4 minutes and 12 seconds to complete the 1.2km shuttle run without a break.
In what’s become an incredibly popular fitness test in sports around the world, athletes are tasked with running 20, 40 and 60 metres shuttle runs five times each.
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Roigard, 23, emerged as the fan favourite to succeed Smith in the No. 9 jersey after impressing at Test level last year. It seems the Hurricanes halfback is doing everything he can to make that happen.
“Fit, ready and some goo tans,” coach Scott Robertson told reporters on Tuesday.
“They’ve had a really good break, and the World Cup cycle and the extra little bit of time for them has been really valuable.
“They’ve come back with some good PBs (personal bests) and no flags. That’s what you look for, someone who has a couple of extras, but everyone’s in great nick.
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“The boys have owned that period of time and come back fresh.”
The All Blacks social media team caught shots of players looking incredibly tired – or as Roigard explained, “exhausted” – after the tough fitness test in the heat.
Veteran Anton Lienert-Brown ran the Bronco in 4.37, while flanker Dalton Papali’i finished in the forties for the first time (4.45).
With Caleb Clarke using his hand as a microphone, the wing attempted to interview Cam Roigard who was clearly still trying to recover from the run.
Roigard, still with a smile on his face, did make sure to mention that he’d just “tied Baz’s record.” But teammate Rieko Ioane made sure to point out that Barrett’s actual best was 4.11.
According to Clarke, it was Roigard and playmaker Damian McKenzie who shot out of the blocks as the two front-runners to begin with.
“We had fitness testing yesterday and everyone hit their numbers, which was good,” McKenzie said later. “Obviously, summer is a good time to catch up with family and refresh from a big year last year.
“The boys came back and hit their numbers, did what they needed to do. It’s always a pretty nervous time of the year on the first day back, but everyone’s in pretty good shape.
“We (gesturing to Will Jordan) have been in the All Blacks last year and in the past, and there will be a lot of new guys coming through,” he added.
“For us, it’s about just owning our stuff throughout the year. Obviously, there’s expectations as All Blacks to go back and perform for your Super club and making sure that we’re doing that throughout the year and leading by example for the rest of the players coming through.
“Owning our stuff for the year, making sure we have a good season so we put our hands up to be picked for that first series.
“For us, it’s about going back to our Super clubs, really owning that and leading by example. The boys are excited for that challenge and it’s not going to be an issue for the players.”
Comments on RugbyPass
What a joke. Total joke and the pundits commentating, all of whom know a bit about the game, could barely disguise their contempt. Reaching for the card then pulling back when he realised a red card would carry further match suspensions is simply not his decision to make. A clear and obvious influence on the outcome of this match and indeed, the championship path.
2 Go to commentsI like the idea, in NZ the Ranfurly Shield and NPC coexist, both having their own bragging rights. The World Cup would be the pinnacle, but the competition and travels of these trophies would be interesting.
40 Go to commentsDon’t worry Sonny bill Williams leave that awkward situation about the curfew in the pass whoever it was it doesn’t matter its no big deal we back our All Blacks through the storm and the thunder until we see the Sun light again.
42 Go to commentsWho listens to this retard? He was a massive liability as a player but obviously a media sensation
42 Go to commentsI’m not surprised by such ‘virtue signalling’ by Sonny Boy. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’s such a pious Islamic muppet, imo.
42 Go to commentsI’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
40 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
2 Go to commentsLet’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
4 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
1 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
4 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
4 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
4 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to comments