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‘Putting his hand up’: McKenzie makes a statement in All Blacks’ big win
Coach Ian Foster didn’t give too much away after the All Blacks’ clinical 73-nil win over Uruguay in Lyon, with the New Zealanders setting their sights on a quarterfinal showdown with either Ireland, South Africa or Scotland.
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After shocking the rugby world with an utterly dominant win over Italy at OL Stadium last week, coach Foster made a number of headline-grabbing changes to the team ahead of their final pool match.
Veteran Anton Lienert-Brown came into the starting side at outside centre and rising star Cam Roigard was named at halfback, but no selection was more intriguing than Damian McKenzie at fullback.
McKenzie, 28, was a man possessed during a sensational Super Rugby Pacific campaign with the Chiefs, but the playmaker failed to make his mark at Test level.
The utility started at flyhalf when the All Blacks played Argentina in Mendoza, but has otherwise played second-fiddle to the first-choice 10-15 combo of Richie Mo’unga and Beauden Barrett.
But playing against Los Teros at the home of French football powerhouse Olympique Lyonnais on Thursday, McKenzie stole the show with a Player of the Match performance.
“He is going pretty good,” Foster said post-game. “We were delighted with him last week and I thought this week he played well. It was a game of turnover ball, wasn’t it?
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“I kind of got the feeling Barnesy [referee Wayne Barnes] wasn’t too interested in seeing scrums. It became a lot of turnover ball and turnover defence and quite frankly Damian is good with that sort of stuff.
“I thought he played really well and when he went to 10 [from full-back] he continued that. He is a player who continues to be important to us. He is really putting his hand up.”
About an hour after the full-time whistle, you couldn’t wipe the smile off McKenzie’s face as he began to reflect on the match that was.
McKenzie scored two tries and kicked a couple of conversions during the 73-point rout of a valiant Uruguayan outfit. It was one of McKenzie’s best performances in the black jersey, and it came at the perfect time.
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With a quarterfinal showdown against one of the world’s best teams looming, McKenzie said that “the job as any player” is to put your hand up for selection ahead of the big games.
“That’s the job as any player who gets an opportunity, you’ve got to try and make the most of it and put your hand up,” McKenzie told reporters.
“We’ve talked a lot about the competition at training, it’s healthy, we’re always trying to push each other.
“Hopefully I’ve put my hand up but whatever role I’m given in the team, whether it’s in the 23 or whether it’s not in the 23, from now on it’s one week at a time and it’s about preparing the team as best we can.
“I feel like the last couple of weeks have been good but we’ll wait and see what happens.”
Coach Foster admitted post-game that the All Blacks will probably finish second in Pool A after losing their tournament opener to hosts France last month.
Les Bleus are in control of their own destiny and simply need to beat a hurting Italian outfit at OL Stadium on Friday night to claim top spot.
New Zealand would then be expected to face world No. 1 Ireland in the quarterfinals, barring an incredible upset win by Scotland in Paris on Saturday.
But it’s all just hypotheticals at this point. The All Blacks are moving on and they’ll be ready for whoever they play.
“We’re in the quarterfinals now, it’s knockout rugby so it’s win or go home, and we know whatever opponent we face is going to be a tough one,” McKenzie added.
“For the last few games, defensively we’ve held teams out and then obviously in attack we’ve shown that we can score tries. That’s trending in the right direction.
“I’ve never been involved in a quarterfinal at a World Cup so I’ve never felt the pressure or know what it’s like, but there’s a lot of boys in the shed who experienced that four years ago.
“We’re really excited about the challenge, whoever it is we play.”
Comments on RugbyPass
I bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments