‘His own harshest critic’: Chiefs coach on ‘rockstar’ McKenzie after loss

Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan expects Damian McKenzie to bounce back after the playmaker failed to fire in a shock 21-14 loss to the NSW Waratahs in Sydney. McKenzie started at fullback for the first time since round three but shifted to first five-eighth early in the second half.

McKenzie was fifth on the Super Rugby Pacific Player of the Year leaderboard after the first eight rounds. Backrowers Ardie Savea and Tom Hooper were first and second, while backs Timoci Tavatavanawai and Caleb Tangitau were also in the MVP race.

McKenzie was a standout in wins over the Blues and Moana Pasifika while wearing the No. 10 jumper, but coach McMillan promoted Josh Jacomb to the starting side for the ninth round fixture in Sydney, which prompted a change in the outside backs.

Jacomb and McKenzie have worked well together in the past but that combination failed to fire at Allianz Stadium on Friday night. McKenzie turned the ball over a game-high seven times, which was more than double Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii’s tally of three.

There were other errors and moments to speak of, including McKenzie failing to find touch with a kick for the sideline during the first half. Waratahs duo Lawson Creighton and Suaalii outplayed their Chiefs counterparts, and it was clear McKenzie was disappointed at full-time.

“He’s a pretty experienced campaigner and he’ll be his own harshest critic,” McMillan told reporters in Sydney.

“He’s a rockstar for us. Every player, the best ones in the world, have off nights and he’ll reflect on that and be the first to admit that it wasn’t his best game.

“There was not too many people in our team who will be able to put their hand up and say they had a good day at the office.

“We never put the spotlight on any one individual.”

After a disallowed try to halfback Teddy Wilson, the Waratahs opened the scoring through Rugby Australia’s marquee recruit Suaalii. Suaalii got the better of McKenzie, Quinn Tupaea and former All Blacks Sevens ace Leroy Carter before finding the try line.

That effort midway through the first half set the tone. The Tahs scored again five minutes later through winger Triston Reilly, with fly-half Creighton converting both efforts to give the hosts a hard-earned 14-nil lead.

Lalakai Foketi also had a try disallowed, with the midfielder coming within an inch or two of scoring with a sensational one-handed diving finish. Instead, it was a 14-point swing with Carter running in for the Chiefs’ sole try of the first term in the 29^th minute.

Wilson scored a try of the season contender just after the break, with the No. 9 linking up with Andrew Kellaway and Reilly turning that break. While the Chiefs hit back through Samipeni Finau soon after, the Waratahs still seemed to be in control.

“Disappointing, frustrating We just couldn’t find a way through,” McMillan reflected.

“We got presented with lots of opportunity but I guess we’ve just got to give credit to the desperation and accuracy of the Waratahs who defended like demons, especially when they went down to 14, it looked like they actually went to 16.

“From the get-go we didn’t look quite there. We have to go home and lick our wounds and review well and find a few solutions because we didn’t have many out there today which again, was disappointing.

“Internally, we really challenged ourselves this week around where we’re actually at as a rugby team. We’ve accumulate points and we’ve won games and we’re sitting on top of the table… but we don’t think that we’ve been playing like  table-leading side.

“Tonight was evidence that we were not quite there.”