With Roigard carrying a niggle and potentially short on match sharpness heading into Saturday's first Test at Ellis Park, Justin Marshall argues the backup scrum-half call becomes more consequential than usual. Both Ratima and Preston impressed during the franchise tour, but Marshall lands on Ratima for one reason: Ellis Park is no place to be inexperienced. Ratima's 20-plus caps and prior exposure to South African Test rugby give him the edge over Preston despite the Crusaders man pushing hard on form. Marshall's verdict is pragmatic — if Roigard needs replacing early, you want someone who's been in that cauldron before.
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Marshall backs Ratima over Preston as Roigard injury cloud hangs over All Blacks
Marshall makes the case for Ratima over Preston as Roigard's fitness concern elevates the backup scrum-half decision ahead of the Ellis Park Test — experience over form in a high-pressure environment.
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