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HSBC SVNS 2026
Singapore
Thursday
12:10
International

McKenzie: "I wouldn't say it was easy"

Damian McKenzie reflects on his first test starting at fullback and says it wasn’t easy, but an attacking mindset helped them pile on the points in the first 50 minutes against a hapless Wallabies side.

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Comments on RugbyPass

E
Ed the Duck 11 minutes ago
'Expect the unexpected' - Ireland v France big match preview part one

I did say Rassie can be a rascal but not in terms of capping him solely to prevent an England career. Doubt he’d go there for that reason and any interest, if it did arise, would be genuine.

97 Go to comments
c
cw 12 minutes ago
The constant in the All Blacks’ struggles is not the coaches

Yes I think we (AB fans!) can be optimistic that the new coach will look to reinvigorate the open play DNA. And as NB says, we need to build in the foundations set with NZ players from school age and in the SR. But there is a thought provoking article in NZ that the new SR rules focusing in speeding up the game will be detrimental at test level where the rules lionise set piece and aerial dominance rather than multi lateral movement (ie exposing defence weakness through speed, multiple points of incursion and horizontal movement). At least Borthwicks solution sits within the former.

219 Go to comments
N
NB 12 minutes ago
'Expect the unexpected' - Ireland v France big match preview part one

I don’t think Lawrence + Freeman is implausible, tho perhaps more likely with Fordy at 10!

97 Go to comments
P
PMcD 14 minutes ago
'Expect the unexpected' - Ireland v France big match preview part one

I did wonder if it was worth SA capping him this summer just to close the door before November. Harsh on BJvR but why let your competitors gain an advantage at your expense?

97 Go to comments
N
NB 14 minutes ago
'Expect the unexpected' - Ireland v France big match preview part one

Bamba has much quicker feet than Colombe and is more dynamic, but he does lose concentration at scrum time on occasion…

Has Colombe sorted out his scrum technique yet?



...

97 Go to comments
N
NB 16 minutes ago
'Expect the unexpected' - Ireland v France big match preview part one

So that’s the new Maginot Line is it? Atkinson hasn’t been selected only because Lawrence is injured?

97 Go to comments
P
PMcD 16 minutes ago
'Expect the unexpected' - Ireland v France big match preview part one

I was torn with this one because of the 6|2 bench split, Freeman’s too good to drop but ultimately you have to make a call between him & Lawrence, or fudge it so Freeman plays 15.

I took the easy option and went for the latter. 🤣🤣



...

97 Go to comments
N
NB 17 minutes ago
'Expect the unexpected' - Ireland v France big match preview part one

So if he’s so far ahead why do you think the Eng coaches picked Dingwall??

97 Go to comments
N
NB 18 minutes ago
'Expect the unexpected' - Ireland v France big match preview part one

Dupont will get his hands on the ball first as a 9, so he decides if and when to give it to Jalibert… Lucu is content to play that role.

It’s up to he French coaches to create a structure which allows both to show their best qualities. I think it gives Ireland more to worry about if they play off 10 rather than 9.



...

97 Go to comments
E
Ed the Duck 18 minutes ago
'Expect the unexpected' - Ireland v France big match preview part one

I did. And he is. But OL isn’t available and he’s the most likely partner for SA.

As I said, “automatic choice” is your latest attempt to put words in my mouth that weren’t said…



...

97 Go to comments
E
Ed the Duck 20 minutes ago
'Expect the unexpected' - Ireland v France big match preview part one

🙄 not to mention SA + OL…

97 Go to comments
N
NB 21 minutes ago
'Expect the unexpected' - Ireland v France big match preview part one

EE apparently has the likely Ireland 23 at the top of the thread, and it doesn’t contain Edogbo sadly… Beirne to 5, Prendergast to 6….

97 Go to comments
J
J Marc 22 minutes ago
'Expect the unexpected' - Ireland v France big match preview part one

He was very dominant in 2018 with U20 team but know I think Colombes is better than him for carries and has better hands but weaker than Bamba at scrum…

97 Go to comments
N
NB 24 minutes ago
'Expect the unexpected' - Ireland v France big match preview part one

They won’t start Freeman and Atkinson together, but the might consider Lawrence + Freeman.

97 Go to comments
N
NB 27 minutes ago
'Expect the unexpected' - Ireland v France big match preview part one

Didn’t you say he was way ahead of Dingwall in all the important stats?

97 Go to comments
E
Ed the Duck 28 minutes ago
'Expect the unexpected' - Ireland v France big match preview part one

Not saying Freeman establishing himself at 13 isn’t on the list but there are other aspects to consider going forward and SA is one of them. Ultimately I reckon OL is a better option at 13 than TF but I guess we’ll see…

97 Go to comments
N
NB 28 minutes ago
'Expect the unexpected' - Ireland v France big match preview part one

He is prob the best ball-carrier of any of the French THPs now that Uini is out.

97 Go to comments
J
Jfp123 29 minutes ago
'Expect the unexpected' - Ireland v France big match preview part one

They might gel, but listen to Joe Worsley’s analysis on FRUK, what you’re not going to get is Dupont playing as he does at ST and Jalibert doing as he does for UBB as they play in different styles. So you’re not only saying the coaches should allow Jalibert to do what he does for UBB, you’re saying they should instruct Dupont, the greatest player in the world, to play more like Lucu, carry the ball less, operate less around the ruck and give the ball straight to Jalibert.

97 Go to comments
N
NB 29 minutes ago
'Expect the unexpected' - Ireland v France big match preview part one

He will be picked to start, so we will find out.

97 Go to comments
E
Eric Elwood 31 minutes ago
'Expect the unexpected' - Ireland v France big match preview part one

Ok. The feeling was that a silver lining against SA was how the defence (not counting scrums performed). Aside from that I am interested to see how Sam performs compared to last year.

97 Go to comments
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