All Blacks star pulled from squad as injury concerns mount in South Africa
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Pulled.
The All Blacks have suffered another injury concern on their Greatest Rivalry tour, with Cam Roigard withdrawn from the side to face the Sharks in Durban on Tuesday.
Roigard had been named among the replacements for the clash at Kings Park but has been pulled from the matchday squad after experiencing tightness in his calf.
New Zealand have stressed that the decision is precautionary, with Cortez Ratima coming onto the bench in his place.
“Cam Roigard has been pulled from the side to play the Sharks as a precautionary measure. He has a tight calf, so the decision has been made to allow some time for that to settle,” the All Blacks confirmed.
The news will nevertheless be closely watched with the four-Test series against the Springboks fast approaching.
Roigard has established himself as a key figure for New Zealand and will be expected to play an important role when the Test portion of the tour gets underway.
His withdrawal comes amid a number of injury concerns for the tourists during their time in South Africa, including Billy Proctor being ruled out for the remainder of the tour with a fractured shoulder blade.
The All Blacks face the Sharks on Tuesday before preparations continue towards their opening Test against the Springboks at Ellis Park on August 22.
