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'Needs to be their main man': Why McKenzie holds the key to Chiefs' title hopes
Rugby World Cup winning flyhalf Stephen Donald believes Damian McKenzie holds the key to the Chiefs’ Super Rugby Pacific title hopes this season.
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Every championship team in the history of sports has had its star player.
The Golden State Warriors have Steph Curry, the New England Patriots had Tom Brady, and the legendary New York Yankees had Babe Ruth.
Even the Crusaders have been bolstered by the playmaking genius of star pivot Richie Mo’unga throughout their dynasty. Clearly, a winning team needs their superstar – and the Chiefs have theirs.
Playmaker Damian McKenzie has returned to the Chiefs after taking a sabbatical in Japan last year.
While a return to the All Blacks evaded him in 2022, McKenzie would be considered my most rugby fans as a world-class talent.
With the ability to play at first-five and fullback, former All Blacks No. 10 Stephen Donald has explained why McKenzie needs to be given the playmaking reigns at flyhalf.
“I hope it’s at 10, I really do,” Donald told SENZ The Run Home.
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“I think for the Chiefs to win the title, he needs to be their main man, so I hope it’s at 10.”
McKenzie made his Test debut at just 21 years of age, and has gone on to play a total of 40 matches in the coveted black jersey.
While a season-ending knee injury saw him miss out on the 2019 Rugby World Cup, the 27-year-old is well and truly in the mix ahead of this year’s tournament in France.
“To me, it’s not in doubt, he’ll be going to the World Cup. He’ll be in the All Blacks’ squad without ta shadow of a doubt,” he added.
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“Probably at the expense of Perofeta I’d imagine, I don’t think there’s room for both of them in the 32-man squad for a World Cup.
“I just don’t see how you could take both of them doing a similar job.
“But no, for me, Damian McKenzie goes to the World Cup and for Chiefs fans… I certainly hope that he’ll be wearing the No. 10 jersey this year for the boys from the Tron.”
The Chiefs begin their pursuit of a Super Rugby Pacific title with probably the toughest fixture possible.
McKenzie and his teammates will travel south to Christchurch to take on reigning champions the Crusaders in the opening match of the new season on Friday.
Comments on RugbyPass
Wow, there is a lot of “could have” and “ should have” in this waist of time dribble. I love the deportation 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.
158 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.
1 Go to comments@Ben smith. Thats knock out rugby. So honeslty who cares?
158 Go to commentsIt will interesting to know which Irish players said that…
1 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🏉
158 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
158 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.
158 Go to commentsOmg… you are bruised And battered Benny. Stop crying … the scoreboard speaks. What a pathetic lover you are.. 🤣🤣🤣
158 Go to commentsPacific Lions, cry me a river
158 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.
158 Go to commentsGuys. Cancel the World Cup champions after this analysis. It changes everything. Ben knows. We’ll have to unengrave the Bokke off the trophy and hand it to the ABs, now that I’ve been enlightened about this illegitimate win. This needs to be done. Now!
158 Go to commentsBen is right here though, Springboks were woefully poor with the advantage they had throughout this game. The France match was heroic because that was an even contest this match had it taken place in Rugby Championship would have been an easy win for NZ. If anything this match should tell the Bok coaches that a lot of this team should be changed. They beat this same NZ team by record margin with the same circumstances but with a different core. They bring back the tried and tested guys and they nearly botch this game.
158 Go to commentsI knew who wrote this article from the first few words in the headline…lol. The red card actually did the ABs a favour. It galvanized them, only then did they step up a gear. Before that there was zero momentum.
158 Go to commentsFirstly the foul on Bongi was a planned move just like the NZ master plan with Bryce Lawrence you kiwis are filthy fux perhaps try to play a cleaner game next time I doubt that’s possible tho but don’t worry world rugby is on yr side they trying to take away all the BOKS strengths to help all you weakling as Jeremy Clarkson would say LA OO ZA ERR..🤣
158 Go to commentsAbsolutely spot on Ben. I certainly wouldn't gloat over a win like that. Frustrating as it is it's done and dusted and history will forever show the result.
158 Go to commentsHo hum.
158 Go to commentsNo question they were the better team. But that is the beauty of sport isn’t it!
158 Go to comments