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‘We need that’: The two World Cup bolters the All Blacks should consider
This year’s Rugby World Cup in France is less than five months away, but there are plenty of questions that remain unanswered about what Ian Fosters’ squad may look like.
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Throughout this season’s Super Rugby Pacific campaign, there have been a number of All Black veterans who have continued to show their class ahead of the sport’s most prestigious event.
All Blacks captain Sam Cane has made all 51 of his tackle attempts this season, while playmakers Richie Mo’unga and Beauden Barrett have also shown glimpses of brilliance.
While all three Test stars appear to be certainties for the coveted World Cup squad, there are a number of other players battling every week – they’re in the mix, but must fight to prove their worth.
For players on the cusp of selection, time is running out as they look to stake their claim as potential bolters ahead of The Rugby Championship later this year.
The All Blacks are blessed with depth and talent, but not everyone gets to go to a World Cup. Instead, SENZ Breakfast host Tony Kemp has highlighted the two backline bolters he’d pick to go to France.
Hurricanes halfback Cam Roigard has emerged as a genuine World Cup bolter following a sensational start to this year’s Super Rugby Pacific campaign.
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Roigard, who played for the All Blacks XV in 2022, was recently compared to Antoine Dupont for his excellent running game.
The rising star is among the fan favourites to force his way into the World Cup squad – and Tony Kemp agrees.
The (22-year-old) is smashing up the Super Rugby (competition),” Kemp said on SENZ Breakfast.
“In my opinion, (he) has surpassed incumbents Finlay Christie and Folau Fakatava.
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“Man has he got speed to burn… not even a centre can catch that halfback if he get in the clear.
“We need that… on the back of his current strong Super Rugby campaign.”
The season ending injury to Crusaders winger Sevu Reece – which has ruled him out of the World Cup – has potentially opened up a spot in the outside backs for the All Blacks.
Ian Foster and the All Blacks have plenty of options to choose from to replace Reece, including the likes of Mark Telea and Leicester Fainga’anuku.
But Kemp believes the high-flying Shaun Stevenson can help the All Blacks unlock their attacking potential “on both sides of the pitch.”
“The Waikato outside back can cover almost any position in the backline but more importantly, he’s such an attacking weapon,” he added.
“The All Blacks are definitely going to need players with the X-factor just to get through the early rounds of the World Cup.
“Shaun would have to be just such a bolter.
“If you tie in Mark Telea, we are now talking strike power on both sides of the pitch.”
Roigard and the Hurricane will host Stevenson’s Chiefs at Sky Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
In the context of the season it doesn’t get any bigger.
The Hurricanes are first on the ladder, but the Chiefs are undefeated with a game in hand. There’s plenty of feeling whenever New Zealand teams go head-to-head, but this one mean more.
Comments on RugbyPass
Oh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
1 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
61 Go to comments