Roigard targets Bledisloe redemption after South Africa series stings All Blacks

All Blacks halfback Cam Roigard has called on New Zealand to sharpen their discipline and accuracy as they turn their attention to the Bledisloe Cup opener against Australia at Eden Park, just two weeks after a series defeat to South Africa in the Greatest Rivalry tour.

Roigard, 25, was candid in his assessment of where the All Blacks fell short against the Springboks. “The frustrating thing probably was, between the last three, the reasons we weren’t getting the results were probably similar — when it came down to the small margins, when we needed to be accurate, we weren’t, and things like discipline let us down in more than one game,” he told Sport Nation’s Scotty Stevenson. “Things like that sting a little bit more when you’re probably not learning or adapting as fast as you need to at that level, especially against a quality side like South Africa.”

Despite the frustration, Roigard struck a forward-looking tone. “It definitely still stings, and probably will for a while. But I think the exciting thing is that we don’t have a whole summer to wait before another opportunity. It’s an awesome opportunity ahead of us to add to the legacy of the Bledisloe Cup and Eden Park, so it’s extremely motivating.”

The Hurricanes scrumhalf acknowledged the Wallabies present a different kind of challenge to South Africa. New Zealand expect a high-tempo series against Les Kiss’s Australia side — who arrive unbeaten through Kiss’s first five games in charge — with both teams sharing a preference for pace and attacking play over set-piece dominance. Roigard suggested that stylistic alignment could suit the All Blacks’ evolving game under head coach Dave Rennie.

Roigard’s rise has coincided with a period of notable coaching turnover in the All Blacks environment. Three head coaches — Ian Foster, Scott Robertson and now Rennie — and three attack coaches have overseen his development at international level. He singled out Rennie and attack coach Mike Blair, an 85-cap Scotland halfback, for sharpening his game management from the No.9 position.

“I think that, especially at this level, there are different ways to play the game,” Roigard said. “We’ve got great things in place when the play is fast, when there’s fatigue in the game, how we can capitalise on that. But then also when the game gets tight, potentially slow, like it did in South Africa, how we can wrestle momentum back.”

With Eden Park’s near-impenetrable record for the All Blacks providing a formidable backdrop, Roigard and his teammates will be looking to translate those lessons into a performance that steadies confidence ahead of a demanding international calendar.