Roigard return a boost for All Blacks after chastening defeat

Cam Roigard of New Zealand warms up ahead of the International Test Match between New Zealand All Blacks and France at Sky Stadium on July 12, 2025 in Wellington, New Zealand. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

New Zealand have been handed a timely boost ahead of their pivotal Rugby Championship tests against Australia with halfback Cameron Roigard cleared to return after a two-month layoff due to a foot injury.

Roigard has not featured since the second test of the France series in Wellington but will ease into action for Counties Manukau in their provincial match against Auckland at Pukekohe on Saturday.

The return of Scott Robertson's first-choice scrumhalf shores up the All Blacks' halfback stocks after a broken leg ruled Noah Hotham out of the Wallabies' clash at Eden Park on September 27 and the Perth rematch a week later.

Australia lead the Rugby Championship on 11 points, one ahead of second-placed South Africa and third-placed New Zealand.

Roigard is one of 13 All Blacks released to play in the National Provincial Championship this weekend.

A number of them will be looking to impress selectors, including winger Caleb Clarke, who will play for Auckland after recovering from a high ankle injury, and winger/centre Rieko Ioane after he was dropped for the All Blacks' record 43-10 defeat by South Africa in Wellington.

Back from a thigh injury, loose forward Luke Jacobson will turn out for Waikato against Tasman, a match featuring a head-to-head battle between experienced centre Anton Lienert-Brown and explosive midfielder Leicester Fainga'anuku.

Meanwhile, South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus has kept faith with the squad which routed New Zealand 43-10 in their last Rugby Championship match for upcoming tests against Argentina in Durban and London that will complete their campaign.

The defeat was New Zealand's biggest in their test history and reignited the Springboks' flagging campaign.

Hooker Bongi Mbonambi has been retained after not travelling to New Zealand due to personal reasons, as has the experienced Faf de Klerk, who is the fourth scrumhalf in the squad and was called to New Zealand as cover.

Lood de Jager (lock), Jean-Luc du Preez (loose forward) and Aphelele Fassi (fullback) have all been ruled out of the fixtures with Argentina through injury.

"This group of players have been together for over 13 weeks now, and they’ve shown that they are the right players for this big task against the Pumas," Erasmus said.

"We’ve chopped and changed our squad a fair bit this season, playing a total of 46 players in our last eight matches, including in the Barbarians match, and by training together almost daily, we are confident that these are the players who can give us the best shot to try to retain the title."

The defending champions host the Pumas in Durban on September 27 before the teams travel to London for the return fixture at Twickenham on October 4.

South Africa squad: 

Forwards: P.S. du Toit, T du Toit, E Etzebeth, V Koch, S Kolisi, W Louw, M Marx, B Mbonambi, F Mostert, O Nche, R Nortje, K Smith, RG Snyman, M van der Merwe, M van Staden, B Venter, J-H Wessels, J Wiese.

Backs: D de Allende, F de Klerk, A Esterhuizen, S Feinberg-Mngomezulu, E Hooker, C Kolbe, J Kriel, M Libbok, M Mapimpi, C Moodie, H Pollard, C Reinach, M van den Berg, D Willemse, G Williams.

Reuters