August 2, 2025 • 5 mins
The All Blacks have lost one of their most influential players for the start of their Rugby Championship campaign.
Halfback Cameron Roigard will miss the beginning of the competition due to a stress fracture in his foot.
NZ Herald rugby writer Liam Napier joined Piney to discuss.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Be one for the All Blacks ahead of the start
of the Rugby Championship. Half back cam Roy Guard will
miss the start of the competition with a stress fracture
in his foot. He will not travel to Argentina. He'll
be assessed in two weeks and a decision made on
his involvement in the South African Tests. Liam Napier, lead
(00:32):
rugby writer with The New Zealand Herald, I'm sure you
weren't expecting to chat to me this afternoon, Liam, and
I'm sure you would have hoped to be under better circumstances.
How big a blow is this for the Your Blacks?
No Roy Guard for Argentina.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
It's always a pleasure to he adults at Tones Piney.
But yeah, sad news indeed, isn't it? And a body
blow for the All Blacks for sure. I think you
can look at guys like Ardie Severe, Cody Taylor, Will
Jordan as players that the All Blacks would most least like,
you know, not want to lose most influential players in
(01:05):
their team. And Kmate is right up there. He has
been hugely influential since coming back. It's easy to forget
he's only played a handful of tests, but his sniping
game around the fringes, his booming boots has just been
a real fault crom for the All Blacks and even
an apatchi French series at times. He was one of
(01:26):
the leading lights in the two tests that he played.
So yeah, it's going to be very interesting to see
who the All Blacks turned to. I think obviously courses
of artima will come in to start, but the depth
in the New Zealand nine socks is not exactly flush
at the moment.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
It certainly isn't because this is exacerbated by the fact
that Noah Hotham is currently injured with a high ankle sprains.
He probably won't play any of the Rugby Championship, so
no Roy Guard, no Hotham, So two of the three
half backs from the French series not there, artmat as
you say. So like Christy's been withdrawn from the Tasman
game this afternoon. I thought that was because of this
(02:04):
impending news, but by the sounds of things, he's a
shoulder injury. You're a little niggle as well. So have
we got the half backs left.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Well, I'm a half fake myself, Piney, so I could.
I'm a long long long way from the test sine though,
but yeah, it is desperate times in a relative sense.
I think I would imagine from le Christie will be
named in the squads because he's been there, done that.
There's a few whispers around Newcastle Falcons chasing his services
(02:33):
and perhaps maybe that ties into him, you know, going
back up north and potentially playing for Scotland where he's born.
But I expect him to be named in this Rugby
Championship squads. And then you're looking at guys like Kyle Preston.
I'm a big fan of his, you know, of course
Wellington half back.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
But.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
You know Traders. We went to the Crusaders and scored
four tries in the opening Super Rugby match this year
and really sort of made his mark early before Hope
and return. So I like what he offers. And then
you're looking at others like Fuckatava who has been there
but not for a couple of years and hasn't been
in the mix since Scott Robertson took over, and others
(03:16):
like an Xavier Rowe who brings quite a subtle passing game.
He's very creative both with his kicking game as well
around the fringes. So I think that's where the All
Blacks will be looking and very interesting to see who
makes that mix when they announce it tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Absolutely it will be. They'll definitely take three, won't they.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
They'll.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
It's a it's pretty much a standard. There'll be three
half backs named tomorrow, so Roy, sorry, Ratama, probably Christy
and one another. They'll name three, won't they.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
They will.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
It was a thirty six man squad, so it leaves
plenty of room for three half backs, three hookers, and
it is a very specialized position. You could, you know,
look at a guy like Leroy Carter perhaps who can
play wing and halfback, or Damian McKenzie's even you know,
covered halfback off the bench in his career. But it's
(04:07):
getting a bit cute for Tess Rugby if you're thinking
about going back to putting guys like Jerome Kino at
Locke when the All Black's lost to Ireland in Dublin
and you know, square pegs, round holes, things that haven't
been done, haven't been tried before. It's the elite arena
you can come unstuck, so I think they will look
to include three specialists there.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
All right, Hey, thanks Liam, thanks for taking our call
at short notice off the back of this breaking news.
We're wait to see tomorrow what the All Black selectors do,
but it's a conundrum for them. I always appreciate you
joining us.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Matechi's funny.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Good on your Liam Napier read him at Enzidherl dot
co dot nz. He's actually got a piece up at
the moment regarding the All Black squad to be named tomorrow.
This was before the roy Guard news, so we'll have
an update on that no doubt. But you know who
else will be named in that thirty six man squad
it has announced tomorrow. We'll have full coverage of all
of that for you on Newstalks EDB
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Of course, for more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine,
listen live to Newstalks EDB weekends from midday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Be one for the All Blacks ahead of the start
of the Rugby Championship. Half back cam Roy Guard will
miss the start of the competition with a stress fracture
in his foot. He will not travel to Argentina. He'll
be assessed in two weeks and a decision made on
his involvement in the South African Tests. Liam Napier, lead
(00:32):
rugby writer with The New Zealand Herald, I'm sure you
weren't expecting to chat to me this afternoon, Liam, and
I'm sure you would have hoped to be under better circumstances.
How big a blow is this for the Your Blacks?
No Roy Guard for Argentina.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
It's always a pleasure to he adults at Tones Piney.
But yeah, sad news indeed, isn't it? And a body
blow for the All Blacks for sure. I think you
can look at guys like Ardie Severe, Cody Taylor, Will
Jordan as players that the All Blacks would most least like,
you know, not want to lose most influential players in
(01:05):
their team. And Kmate is right up there. He has
been hugely influential since coming back. It's easy to forget
he's only played a handful of tests, but his sniping
game around the fringes, his booming boots has just been
a real fault crom for the All Blacks and even
an apatchi French series at times. He was one of
(01:26):
the leading lights in the two tests that he played.
So yeah, it's going to be very interesting to see
who the All Blacks turned to. I think obviously courses
of artima will come in to start, but the depth
in the New Zealand nine socks is not exactly flush
at the moment.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
It certainly isn't because this is exacerbated by the fact
that Noah Hotham is currently injured with a high ankle sprains.
He probably won't play any of the Rugby Championship, so
no Roy Guard, no Hotham, So two of the three
half backs from the French series not there, artmat as
you say. So like Christy's been withdrawn from the Tasman
game this afternoon. I thought that was because of this
(02:04):
impending news, but by the sounds of things, he's a
shoulder injury. You're a little niggle as well. So have
we got the half backs left.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Well, I'm a half fake myself, Piney, so I could.
I'm a long long long way from the test sine though,
but yeah, it is desperate times in a relative sense.
I think I would imagine from le Christie will be
named in the squads because he's been there, done that.
There's a few whispers around Newcastle Falcons chasing his services
(02:33):
and perhaps maybe that ties into him, you know, going
back up north and potentially playing for Scotland where he's born.
But I expect him to be named in this Rugby
Championship squads. And then you're looking at guys like Kyle Preston.
I'm a big fan of his, you know, of course
Wellington half back.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
But.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
You know Traders. We went to the Crusaders and scored
four tries in the opening Super Rugby match this year
and really sort of made his mark early before Hope
and return. So I like what he offers. And then
you're looking at others like Fuckatava who has been there
but not for a couple of years and hasn't been
in the mix since Scott Robertson took over, and others
(03:16):
like an Xavier Rowe who brings quite a subtle passing game.
He's very creative both with his kicking game as well
around the fringes. So I think that's where the All
Blacks will be looking and very interesting to see who
makes that mix when they announce it tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Absolutely it will be. They'll definitely take three, won't they.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
They'll.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
It's a it's pretty much a standard. There'll be three
half backs named tomorrow, so Roy, sorry, Ratama, probably Christy
and one another. They'll name three, won't they.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
They will.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
It was a thirty six man squad, so it leaves
plenty of room for three half backs, three hookers, and
it is a very specialized position. You could, you know,
look at a guy like Leroy Carter perhaps who can
play wing and halfback, or Damian McKenzie's even you know,
covered halfback off the bench in his career. But it's
(04:07):
getting a bit cute for Tess Rugby if you're thinking
about going back to putting guys like Jerome Kino at
Locke when the All Black's lost to Ireland in Dublin
and you know, square pegs, round holes, things that haven't
been done, haven't been tried before. It's the elite arena
you can come unstuck, so I think they will look
to include three specialists there.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
All right, Hey, thanks Liam, thanks for taking our call
at short notice off the back of this breaking news.
We're wait to see tomorrow what the All Black selectors do,
but it's a conundrum for them. I always appreciate you
joining us.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Matechi's funny.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Good on your Liam Napier read him at Enzidherl dot
co dot nz. He's actually got a piece up at
the moment regarding the All Black squad to be named tomorrow.
This was before the roy Guard news, so we'll have
an update on that no doubt. But you know who
else will be named in that thirty six man squad
it has announced tomorrow. We'll have full coverage of all
of that for you on Newstalks EDB
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Of course, for more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine,
listen live to Newstalks EDB weekends from midday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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