Cam Roigard: Hurricanes halfback previews their Super Rugby clash against the Chiefs

Two significant ins for the Hurricanes as they prepare for a crucial home Super Rugby showdown against the Chiefs on Saturday night. 

All Blacks hooker Asafo Aumua and lock Isaia Walker-Leawere have both been named to start on their return from concussion layoffs. 

The match looms as pivotal in the run to the playoffs, and assistant coach Bard Cooper says they're happy the game is in the capital. 

Meanwhile, Chiefs star Damian McKenzie is out for a second straight week with his hand injury. 

With Anton Lienert-Brown out injured for the rest of the Super season, Daniel Rona takes the number 13 jersey. 

D'Arcy catches up with Hurricanes and All Blacks halfback Cam Roigard ahead of tonight's clash. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldgrave from News Talk S'B.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Seven nineteen on the All Sport Breakfast. From on half
to the other. We're joined now by the Hurricanes are
half back cam Ruiga. Good morning, it's gone. Well, what
about yourselves? You're still flexing after that that win over
against the brummies. That's something that you set on teams
haven't done this year. You must be awfully proud.

Speaker 3 (00:31):
Yeah, I very pleased. The first time I've beaten them
over there playing in Canberra, and I think for the
Hurricanes it's first time since twenty seventeen that was one
over there as well, so you know we had a
few tough defeats them over the years over there, like
real close games and big games as well. So yeah,
it was really really good to I guess put that
on the bed and get one over them.

Speaker 2 (00:52):
What was the trick? What did you put it down to? Playing?
There's a number of different facets into rolling a team,
but is there anything primarily that you work through that
that helped you repel them?

Speaker 3 (01:02):
Probably just playing, like starting really well it was key
for us, and then I guess on the back of
that I guess the opportunities that we did get. You know,
we did come well with points, which was good, especially
in the first half sort of I guess to keep
at school war trisure. But then we know that they're
such a strong team and at set piece of whatnot,
that they were going to come back, you know, in
the second half because they had you know, every other

(01:24):
time we played them them. I guess managing the territory,
playing the right age of the field was probably the
keyp ross just sort of managing the game in that
way through the kick battle and whatnot. So I think
it was good to sort of help, I guess, stop
the threat off their outside backs because they are pretty
fast and pretty lethal with time and space. So yeah,
I think we sort of nailed it closing out the
game in the back end, and yeah, I guess we're

(01:45):
able to hang on on next sept.

Speaker 2 (01:48):
A lot of teams out there that have the same
in the position, don't they guys on the outside that
are fast and hard to deal with. It's not like
you're short of some pretty handy players outside of you either.

Speaker 3 (01:57):
Yeah, that's right. I guess on the flip of that
outside decks did get some space you know, we had
both of our wingers, Manny and Kenny both scored two tries.
And if that shows that we are getting the ball
to while we were you know, on the weekend in
the ball to the radios and the field and giving
our I guess, our finishers time and space to sort
of do what they do this. So yeah, I guess

(02:18):
that's the probably credit to I guess, our attack and
sort of the way we're hopefully we're heading in the right.

Speaker 2 (02:23):
Diction readjusting for atrocious weather, it's a given, But at
what stage do you hit the switch and go right?
We've got to go back to what we trained with.
How long does it take before you do change your
approach on game day?

Speaker 3 (02:38):
Yeah, I think we're always you know, the game drivers
nine to ten, always connecting with our forwards and with
what's going well and what's not sort of every stop
as we get so I guess, being able to be
aligned so we're feeling the same things. Like to say,
if we're feeling it at training and prepared to if
we get put in the same scenarios, then we can

(03:00):
be able to transition into I guess changing whatever needs
to be done pretty quickly and I guess we're pretty lucky.
You know, we can get some coms in from the coaches.
I definitely need to, but ultimately it is up on us.
And ideally, I guess the different some teams or you know,
you can't struggle with it if you're waiting till half
time or something needs to be changed. But yeah, hesitance first,

(03:20):
so I guess it can be changed. It you just
probably need one, one or two stoppages, whether it's a
triving scoad or whatever there may be. So yeah, I
think that you know, the better you are as a team,
the tighter you are more connected, the more efficiently to
the changing game things on the go.

Speaker 2 (03:36):
You got the Chiefs coming on down to say, hi,
do they have an obvious week point? Is there something
you would like to target from your position? And teams
in general?

Speaker 3 (03:46):
Yeah, I guess every team sort of or we you know,
we come up with a game plan and how we
can beat them. And I think firstly the bonus is
on us to be able to front up. You know
us we're so worried about what they're doing. We don't
allow stuff regardless of how they play or you know,
it's going to be a long day, so I'm making
sure that we're nailing our stuff first, and I guess

(04:07):
there's a little bit of a change, you know. I
guess the the net was playing, we'll be more of
a focus on him because you know, he's a game breaker.
He keecks well, he runs well, and he does really
well with time and space. So I guess that. I
guess it's a slight change now. And Antim's out as well,
so probably just yeah, I guess a lot of it
is going to focus on our belt because we I
guess we have had them not the most ideal in

(04:30):
our season so far with a few games with them,
we're always trying to improve, and I guess, yeah, the
main focus has been on I guess, ourselves and how
we can score points obviously with attack whole teams out
with THEE, but then also be able to close out
games because you know a lot of our losses of
them within seven and you know those type games where
it can go either way. If we need to start
making sure that we're on the other side of it,

(04:50):
and Chiefs spread hoot form, it's going to be a
great game and they're going to be in it for
the full Lady and even more so if they need to.
So make sure that we're really impressed that it's been
the main focus.

Speaker 2 (05:01):
Well, you've got a good run in Heaven. You want
to say good, there's not really an easy beat team
in Super Rugby Pacific, and maybe slightly easier than I
also got today. Then you've got a buy and then
you roll into some more games toward the end of
the season. So be confident with the nature of those
games i'd expect. But I know what you have to say.

(05:22):
You're going to say, we don't look too far forward.
It's all about what happens this weekend.

Speaker 3 (05:26):
Yeah, that's right, I think in the context of our season.
Obviously last week was a huge game, but this is
probably the biggest game of our season. We haven't played
the Chiefs yet. I know, that's how I feel anyway.
I grew up in white ghettos, so you know, I
know a few of the boys went to school with
a few boys that are in the Chiefs as well,
So I'm really looking forward to playing them at home.
And I guess, yeah, it's an exciting opportunity to I

(05:49):
guess dig deep and hopefully get a result for our
buy because obviously we know that we get no points
during the buy, so trying to make this week nd
count for sure.

Speaker 2 (05:57):
Yeah, setting at the moment fifth in the competition on
twenty two points. Samons Western Force and one last thing,
camra wigod always great to talk to, Matanks very much
coming on the program. What's the dynamic like between you
and your opposite number Cortes Ratima when you look towards
the All Blacks later and the piece.

Speaker 3 (06:17):
Yeah, obviously, I guess naturally we're both super competitive. I
think we've probably both been looking forward to this game
for a while. I guess there's a huge opportunity for
us for usselves to go kids head. You know, that's
how we get better, always challenging ourselves when we are
in camp. But then I guess now to show our
skills against each other. You know, he's had a great
year so far, He's in real hot forms. So I'm

(06:38):
really looking forward to the challenge going against them. I
don't think I have yet or not when we're both
been starting. So yeah, really excited to knuckle down and
get get stuck in.

Speaker 2 (06:50):
John you Cam thanks for your time. Used to raise
cars in the mud. Big fan of that man. Thank you.
Tonight five past seven, then it's on gold Sport. It's
live on gold Sport as the Hurricane to host the
Chiefs and Super Ugly Pacific.

Speaker 1 (07:04):
For more from the All Sport Breakfast with Ary Watergrave,
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