Justin Marshall warns against All Blacks' fullback experiment

Former All Black Justin Marshall has warned not to underestimate the difference between Super Rugby and the international arena when reacting to another superstar performance by Damian McKenzie over the weekend.

McKenzie’s Chiefs launched a second-half surge on Saturday night to steal a statement win from the Blues side that bested them in last year’s competition final.

The round one result kicked off the 2025 season in dream fashion for a side who have lost three finals in four years.

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The dynamic ‘DMac’ was at his game-breaking best as his side rallied from a 6-14 halftime deficit to claim a 25-14 win under the bright lights of Eden Park and its 23,000 fans.

A major contributor to the momentum shift in the game was a 50th-minute substitution: starting first-five Josh Jacomb was replaced by outside back Emoni Narawa. This triggered a backline reshuffle, and McKenzie moved into the No. 10 role after playing fullback for the opening stretch.

While occupying the primary playmaker role, McKenzie helped kick his team’s attack into high gear, and with his forward pack looking the more dominant late in the contest, the 29-year-old was even more dangerous, leading to his two tries. By the final whistle, McKenzie boasted game-leading attacking stats across the board.

Player Line Breaks

1

Damian McKenzie

3

2

Leroy Carter

3

3

Mark Tele'a

2

However, while the dual-position tactic served the Chiefs well, 81-time All Black Marshall had reservations about how it would work at the next level.

The player-turned-pundit appeared on the DSPN Podcast with Martin Devlin and agreed with the podcast host that after watching Steve Borthwick tinker with England’s starting playmaker partnership, McKenzie’s fullback trial made All Blacks selection all the more interesting.

“Where he fits into Scott Robertson’s pattern and shape and the way that he wants to play, absolutely (interesting). I totally agree with you his performance on the weekend was outstanding. That was classic Damian McKenzie,” Marshall started.

“The Chiefs were trying to find their way back into a game after being shut out a little bit and then bang, he just manages to create things out of nothing, skins defenders laterally which he’s so very good at, comes in as a first, second receiver and then switched position in the second half.

“But, my rebuttal to that would be that would be that’s different when you play against New Zealand and Australian teams because we defend differently. When he’s coming in he’s got a lot more time.

“When you are switching positions at international rugby, you don’t have the time. You are squeezed a lot more.

“Teams like Ireland, France and even Wales and England, they defend really narrowly and they put massive pressure on you as a first receiver.

“So, Damian McKenzie will look good in Super Rugby but when it comes to international rugby, your time and what you see in front of you defensively is completely different. When you switch during a game internationally, it’s just a hell of a lot harder.

“Whether that’s the right thing for him as a player, and he’s not constantly getting time in a specific jersey to really grow into that for the year, I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not.”