All Blacks star ruled out of World Cup
The All Blacks have been dealt a major blow in their bid for a fourth World Cup title as star first-five/fullback Damian McKenzie has been ruled out of the tournament with a ruptured ACL injury.
All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen confirmed the news on Monday as players from a national 41-man squad, which McKenzie was initially included in, congregated in Wellington for a ‘foundation day’ training camp.
A ruptured ACL usually takes between six to nine months to recover from, and with the World Cup set to kick off in five months’ time, a miracle recovery would be required of McKenzie if he was to attend the global showpiece event in Japan.
“He’s done an ACL and looks to be out for eight to nine months which is a real shame for him,” Hansen said.
“His World Cup opportunity’s gone but he’s still young enough to make probably the next two. It’s just important he gets his knee right and takes the time to be able to come back and achieve the dreams that he wants to achieve.
“It’s sad for him obviously. It creates another opportunity for someone else. We’ve got to expect injuries and there will be more than just him I’d say.”
McKenzie sustained the injury early in the second half of his side’s 33-29 win over the Blues at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton on Saturday.
The 23-year-old limped off the field shortly after attempting to tackle Blues first-five Otere Black, struggling to bend his left knee and strongly favouring his opposite leg.
The injury comes as a significant blow to Hansen and his fellow selectors Ian Foster and Grant Fox, who have used McKenzie as an integral member of their squad since his test debut in 2016.
Alternating between first-five and fullback, McKenzie was listed as one of three first-fives in the ‘foundation day’ squad alongside Beauden Barrett and Richie Mo’unga, although he has been predominantly used at fullback in test matches.
The All Blacks selectors will now have the rest of the Super Rugby season, a condensed Rugby Championship campaign and a one-off test against Tonga to find and develop a new third-choice first-five.
With Barrett, Mo’unga and McKenzie the leading first-fives in the country, there are limited options at Hansen, Foster and Fox’s disposal.
Josh Ioane has impressed in his second year with the Highlanders, although he has been forced to alternate starting roles with the more seasoned Marty Banks throughout the season.
The same can be said of Black, who has shared playmaking roles with youngster Harry Plummer frequently in 2019, but has been a core figure in the Blues’ resurgence this year.
Crusaders pivot Brett Cameron earned a surprise test debut from off the bench against Japan last year, making him the only other first-five in the country with test match experience.
However, the 22-year-old has struggled for game time in Super Rugby behind Mo’unga, and crumbled in his solitary start against the Waratahs in Sydney as the Crusaders fell to what has been their only loss so far this season.
While not setting the competition alight, Damian’s older brother Marty has been in career-best form with the Chiefs over the past few weeks as he and his brother worked in tandem via a 10-15 playmaking axis.
He, like Damian, can also play at fullback, as can Ioane, which adds to their cases for a call-up to the national side.
However, no word has been released regarding a call-up to the national side as the ‘foundation day’ training camp gets underway in the nation’s capital.
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
“Shock”, the guy was casually saying he was just slightly surprised. Nowadays if you say anything it gets taken completely out of context. Calm down everyone.
154 Go to commentsAll I can say after reading this bitter, sour, sad piece is… Thank you very much! This will be read in the change room just before kick off on 31 August…
171 Go to commentsLook, we know contradicting opinions and wacky comments bring readers and clicks, so well done to RP for allowing always-wrong-Ben to say something here. However RP needs to put a disclaimer next to his comments for their own credibility. NZ was and is incapable of acknowledging their opp beating them. They refused so with Ire and with Arg in 2022 and also the Boks in 2023 x 2. Nothing Ben says here holds water, NZ attacked backwards, except when Kolisi and Kolbe was off And cyncialy took out Bongi, we played without lineouts for 75mins. Kolisi and Kurt-Lee almost scored twice. Thats 3 vs 2 for Boks, but the Boks opportunities was legal. Boks should have been 16-3 up by half time. Tacticaly the Boks attacked better defended better scrummed better (without a hooker) kicked better and crossed the whitewash more times. Boks beat Fr Eng Nz to win in 23, comeon give some credit at least. Even Federer Verstappen NY Mets, Mamoa, was able to see a great human sport achievement by the Boks and their DNA Boks #RWC27 !🏉
171 Go to commentsForget the 85kg bit, that can become something else. However I do like the one off test on ANZAC day idea. SR plays Fri/ Sat, test players travel Sunday and the squads have the full week together before playing Saturday. Rest of SR has a week off. Either involve women's teams in same location or in the other country and rotate annually. Herbert is right in that change is needed.
3 Go to commentsI’ve read loads of nonsense before but this article takes the cake. Or perhaps someone changed the date for April Fool's Day.
3 Go to commentsReally Rugbypass? Ben Smith I think you forgot what the Springboks did to the All Blacks at Twickenham 8 weeks earlier? Springboks 35 All Blacks 7. There is alot of ifs and buts in your article. The All Blacks threw the sink at the Springboks and unfortunately they were not good enough regardless if they played with 14 men or not. It was the Springboks who forced the All Blacks to make mistakes! Sorry but not Sorry the Springboks is the best ever Rugby World Cup Nation in the world. 4 Cups baby!
171 Go to commentsYou just backed the Boks with that fantastic review! Well done! Have some cake!
171 Go to commentsBen Smith please write up something better than this. The Springboks would have won the world cup if you were 15 men on the field. They would have found a way, they always find a way to beat the All Blacks.
171 Go to commentsWow, there is a lot of “could have” and “ should have” in this waist of time dribble. I love the desperation in this story to search for a glimpse at a silver lining. Here are the facts, NZ was a badly coached and undisciplined shadow of their former glory. They never took the lead in a game they were never going to win.
171 Go to commentsGOTTA MAKE ‘THE GEORGE’ HAPPEN!!!! That’s a great idea! A trans Tasman midget battle on ANZAC Day. I don’t think the ABs Wallabies game should be a one off winner takes all though, just the first match with the other two later in the year with the RC. Reason being, no one will ever shut up about how aussies couldn’t win it when it was a 3 match series.
3 Go to comments@Ben smith. Thats knock out rugby. So honeslty who cares?
171 Go to commentsIt will interesting to know which Irish players said that…
2 Go to commentsNaaaww boys will be boys! Now run along ya wee scamp! Don’t let us catch you at again😏
1 Go to commentsGreat to have Ethan Blackadder back in the Crusaders in the last few weeks. One of the best all round loose forwards around. He played so well last week against the Rebels. Fantastic attitude Ethan has and his comments are spot on.
2 Go to commentsThe author is 100% right. The Springboks know that they don't have near the natural attraction, mana, skill and mystic the All Blacks have. So, Chasing the sun 1 & 2 was concocted to overblow the Boks image on the back of a corruptly obtained “win". It's marketing ploy to force the Boks delusion as the World's Best. I guess World Rugby is also not to be believed when it came out with an apology about how the final was officiated. And if the 2023 final such a superb game by the Boks, then the Boks crying about Referee Bryce Lawrence for decades is also deserves a laugh. Chase the sun and get burned like a moth. A very well written literary piece that tore the Boks and Chasing the sun farce to shreds. 🖤All Blacks🏉
171 Go to commentsI’d say France was far more hard done by in the 2011 final than the All Blacks in this game. Joubert simply refused to call a penalty against the All Blacks in the last quarter even directing an All Black to drop a ball he picked up in an offside position rather than penalizing him. This article also totally discounts the efforts of PSTD. Ask Jordie how well he played. Or the backup flank who played hooker for the entire game. Siya was also a brilliant tackle by Richie from scoring a blinder. Pollard was also fantastic. Look I don’t like the boks style but the only thing more questionable than the content of this article is the timing of it. Get over it already
171 Go to commentsDad Marty was also a handy rugby player for Linwood back in the day. Great bloke. Sensational softball career.
2 Go to commentsWhat ifs are always dangerous. If you look at the game before Sam cane got sent of SA was dominating. You could make the argument the going down to 14 men rallied the troops and made them have to play to win which is always dangerous.
171 Go to commentsOmg… you are bruised And battered Benny. Stop crying … the scoreboard speaks. What a pathetic lover you are.. 🤣🤣🤣
171 Go to commentsThis is the single worst piece of journalism I have ever seen since your last one. As a neutral, who really states that there should be an asterisk next to a win? You are an utter embarrassment to real AB fans, journalism and that joke of a house which pays you for this nonsense. Get a life, Ben.
171 Go to comments