Liam Napier and Elliott Smith discuss injury gaps, who will cover the third halfback role and the Lions' win in the lead-up to the All Blacks tour squad naming. Video / NZ Herald
The All Blacks have been dealt a huge injury blow ahead of their Rugby Championship campaign, with halfback Cameron Roigard ruled out due to a stress fracture.
The 24-year-old felt pain in his right foot following the All Blacks’ test-series win over France and scans have confirmed the stress fracture.
As a result, Roigard won’t travel to Argentina for the first two tests of the campaign, which gets under way on August 17 in Córdoba.
His return to play will be assessed in two weeks, but losing his starting halfback is a huge blow for New Zealand coach Scott Robertson, with Noah Hotham already ruled out of the entire campaign as he requires surgery for a high ankle sprain.
A return for Finlay Christie, who hasn’t played for New Zealand since the second test against England last year, appears likely.
Christie was set to play for Tasman against Bay of Plenty in the NPC today, but was a late scratching as a precautionary measure after a shoulder contact injury.
Folau Fakatava also looms as a possible selection, while uncapped Crusaders halfback Kyle Preston has also been touted as a future All Black.
Roigard joins a long list of players who are unavailable with tighthead prop Tyrel Lomax, winger Caleb Clarke, loose forward Luke Jacobson and Hotham also ruled out.
Lomax’s injury is the biggest concern with a hand fracture, and the 29-year-old is expected to miss five to six weeks of the season. It puts him in a race against the clock to be fit to play the Springboks in Auckland on September 6.
Clarke and Jacobson are both set to miss the same amount of time with a high ankle injury and thigh injury respectively.
The All Blacks are set to welcome back key personnel for the trip with captain Scott Barrett, his brother Beauden Barrett, Tupou Vaa’i, Wallace Sititi and Tamaiti Williams all set to overcome their injury.
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.
