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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
Yes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
2 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
2 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
34 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to comments