Cam Roigard pinpoints All Blacks’ biggest challenge ahead of Northern Tour

Halfback Cam Roigard has highlighted “back-to-back performances” as the All Blacks’ greatest challenge ahead of the team’s Northern Tour. After failing to win The Rugby Championship, the New Zealanders are preparing to face some of the world’s best in Europe.

Eddie Jones’ Japan will be the first side to host the All Blacks during their-end-of-year tour, with the visitors currently in Tokyo preparing for that Test. New Zealand will then travel north where they’ll face England, Ireland, France and Italy.

The clash with England at London’s Allianz Stadium has the potential to be yet another classic Test between the two rival rugby nations, with New Zealand sneaking by Steve Borthwick’s men in two hotly contest matches during the July international window.

Flyhalf Marcus Smith recently warned the English “owe New Zealand one” ahead of that clash in early November, and they won’t be the only side sharing that view. Ireland will also be out for revenge in the first meeting between the sides since last year’s World Cup quarter-final.

For the All Blacks, they’ll need to be at their very best across these five Tests, and consistency hasn’t quite been their friend so far in 2024. They lost a Test to Argentina in TRC before falling to South Africa twice, but they did end that campaign on a high against Australia.

“Back-to-back performances will be huge,” Roigard told reporters this week.

“Obviously, we’ve got Japan, and then we’ve got England, Ireland and France which are obviously great sides. It’ll take the whole squad to put some good performances through. Probably can’t rely on the same 23 because they are such physical games.

“Teams like Ireland will be trying to get one over us, and on the flip of that, we’ll be trying to get one over France. It’ll be hugely contested but it’ll take the whole squad to get the performances we’re after and consistency will be huge.”

You could hear it in his voice, Roigard can’t wait for this tour abroad. The 23-year-old hasn’t played for the All Blacks since the pool stage of last year’s Rugby World Cup in France, with the highly-rated halfback suffering a devastating knee injury during Super Rugby Pacific.

Roigard was earmarked as the potential successor to Aaron Smith in the All Blacks’ No. 9 jersey, with Smith retiring after the sport’s showpiece event. But, with Roigard on the sidelines, youngster Cortez Ratima has shone in the black jersey.

Whether it’s in the starting side or off the pine, Ratima has emerged as a potential candidate for Breakthrough Player of the Year honours – combining well with veteran halfback TJ Perenara as a skilful one-two punch regardless of who wears the No. 9.

But with Aaron Smith out of the picture, and Perenara will walk away from Test rugby at the end of the year after signing a multi-year deal in Japan, there’s an “opportunity” for Roigard, Ratima and one-Test All Black Noah Hotham to shine.

“Yeah, I guess it’s pretty clear there is an opportunity there to cement a spot in the All Blacks. It’s no one’s to start with but I guess there is opportunity there, but not trying to look too far ahead,” Roigard explained.

“I’m sure when (Aaron Smith) was first in the team, he was never thinking he was going to have the career that he had – straight into starting and playing all those games consecutively.

“I’m focused on just trying to get back in the group and try and work as hard as I can to get an opportunity, and if that does come, then I can take it hopefully with both hands and see what happens from there.

“Really looking forward to working alongside Cortez and TJ for this next block.”