All Blacks halfback Cam Roigard has hit back at critics who accused him of feigning injury to give the Hurricanes an unfair advantage during the Super Rugby Pacific semifinal against the Blues in Wellington on Saturday night.
The controversial incident took place in the second minute when Blues fullback Beauden Barrett illegally collided with Hurricanes No 9 Roigard as they competed for a high ball, which resulted in the latter falling heavily to the turf.
As Roigard lay on the grass in the Cake Tin, it appeared he had been hurt.
Players from both teams milled around, with Hurricanes loose forward Brad Shields giving Barrett a gentle shove as a reminder that no foul deed should go unpunished. The Hurricanes were awarded a penalty.
It quickly became apparent, however, that Roigard had suffered no ill-effects from the incident, as he grabbed the ball, took a quick penalty tap and accelerated upfield.
A minute later the Hurricanes scored a try helping set the tone for their 57-21 victory over the Blues.
When reflecting on the incident during an interview, Roigard said he lay on the grass because he expected players from both teams to get involved in a push-and-shove contest.
Roigard says was also aware that the incident had become a topic of discussion on social media.
While some fans applauded Roigard for his quick thinking, others questioned whether he had taken a leaf out of the FIFA World Cup book and faked an injury.
When team-mate Ruben Love asked Roigard for the ball, however, the latter realised “something was on”. He elected to take matters into his own hands.
Rather than give the ball to Love, Roigard took a quick penalty tap and exploited the disorganised Blues’ defensive line.
Roigard defended his actions by noting that if he had stayed on the ground, the TMO might have been called in to pass judgement on Barrett.
The Hurricanes host the Chiefs at 7.05pm Saturday in the Grand Final.
Source: stuff.co.nz
