What’s wrong with this selection of three halfbacks for the All Blacks’ World Cup squad: Aaron Smith, Brad Weber and Finlay Christie?
Answer: they are all set in the same mould – not clones, exactly, but certainly closely related, with large dollops of identical DNA. They are quick-passing, quick-thinkingdistributors and polished support players who often range up in the right place at the right time when a break has been made.
Weber is the best runner from the base of the scrum and probably has the most pace – but he and Christie are now under threat from the emergent talent of 22-year-old Hurricanes halfback Cameron Roigard.
Up to this point, my feeling has been that the All Blacks would not be best served by taking a rookie number nine to France; he would be third choice, meaning little game time, largely an investment for the future.
But Roigard’s pinpoint kicking from the base of the ruck and scrum in Friday night’s game between the Hurricanes and the Brumbies won me over. He’s left-footed and his box kicks were pretty much 100 per cent contestable. It was impossible not to compare him to highly effective, left-footed Irish scrumhalf Conor Murray, whose accurate box kicks embarrassed the All Blacks more than once.
It’s not that the All Blacks don’t have good box kickers; it’s a question of degree of accuracy. In the high stakes, hard-yards arm wrestle that is the knockout stages of the World Cup, possession is key; a defensive manoeuvre which offers an even chance of regaining control of the ball is more than handy.
Roigard’s attacking abilities have been well noted already but another impressive factor on Friday was the way he often controlled the match for the Canes. Outside him was rookie first-five Aidan Morgan – talented but skittish and who made a few mistakes as the Brumbies focused on finding him in the backfield as the Hurricanes shielded him from the head-on defensive phases.
Didn’t matter. Roigard took responsibility with his tactical kicking. Opposite him was 50-test Wallabies veteran Nic White – he of the handlebar moustache, chippy attitude and stream of free character readings for referees. It was as good a comparison as you will get outside of test rugby; Roigard came through it well, outpointing the Aussie.
Cameron Roigard of the Hurricanes makes a break. Photo / Getty
Attitude? Roigard’s style is combative and it was noticeable, in the freak 75m runaway try to Brumbies lock Nick Frost, that Roigard gave his all in trying to run down the surprisingly fleet-footed Frost – when other Hurricanes, including Ardie Savea, had pulled the plug.
Perhaps his biggest claim is the change he brings to the All Blacks halfbacks whose first task is to clear the ball. Roigard is 1.88m and hovers round 90kg. When he accelerates from the base of scrum or ruck, he takes some stopping and, at the very least, demands attention from opposing loose forwards, diverting their attention from elsewhere
That is a considerable factor at a time when the All Blacks have struggled to break down defences, particularly those in the northern hemisphere.
Roigard’s seven tries have him close to the top of the Super Rugby tryscoring charts and it’s noticeable he’s kept scoring even when opposing defence coaches have come to know about his capabilities. Close to the goal-line is a difficult area to organise; the heat of the moment and the defence’s desperation to cover all possibilities mean that a six-foot, 90kg halfback who can blast through a loosie or two is a significant asset.
He’s also a stout defender with one of those engines you see on only a few rugby players. Justin Marshall and TJ Perenara might do battle for the title of the All Blacks’ best defensive halfbacks of all time; Roigard seems to have that talent too. Tawera Kerr-Barlow was the All Blacks’ last truly big halfback; Roigard looks to have more attacking flair. Byron Kelleher was shorter, stockier and possessed of a blistering running game when the mood was on him – but too often ran hot and cold.
Weaknesses? None immediately obvious though Roigard is predominantly left-sided, meaning his pass to his right is snappier than to his left – and most of his breaks come when the Hurricanes are heading right to left. It remains to be seen what competent defence coaches can make of that, if anything.
Smith will stay number one number nine. His passing is still so crisp, he can send the ball from the base of the ruck to a ball carrier facing a less massed defence. He (and Weber and Christie) are also good at the 2-3 steps halfbacks take these days to put the defence in two minds (will he run or pass?).
But Roigard presents the clearest danger doing the halfback quick-step – and it is now clearly possible that he could even be the All Blacks’ second halfback in France, coming on late in the game or sent on if the All Blacks need to change the point of attack.
Which means one of Weber, Christie and Folau Fakatava might miss out.
