'You guys just pile s*** on players': Ex-Wallaby weighs in on 'easy target' Damian McKenzie

Ex-Wallaby hooker Jeremy Paul has weighed in on the criticism aimed at Chiefs and All Black first five Damian McKenzie in the wake of the Super Rugby Pacific final.

The former Brumby said that the level of expectation on All Blacks is very high and that the criticism comes with the territory of being an All Black.

Paul said that New Zealanders “s*** on” players who don’t perform and that has always been the case.

“I think the thing about Damian McKenzie is, unfortunately, he’s been an easy target for a couple of years now,” Paul said on the Good, Bad the Rugby ANZ podcast.

“I’m sorry, but that’s just the All Black territory and what goes with becoming an AB, particularly in the most pivotal position of 10, and if you don’t succeed.. but he’s probably had longer than any All Black that I’ve ever known to actually be given a chance; he had this seven to 10 Tests [in 2024].

Stats surfaced on social media detailing McKenzie’s troubling record with finals that he has played in, which included five losses with the Chiefs including the 2021 Super Rugby Aotearoa edition, one loss with the New Zealand U20, one loss with Suntory Sungoliath in Japan and one loss in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final.

The unfortunate record now stands at eight finals lost without a win.

“There’s this crazy record with Damian McKenzie, too, he lost the U20 final, I think he’s lost something like seven finals,” Paul continued.

“I’m not hanging s*** on him, I’m not, I love Damian McKenzie, I think he’s a fantastic player, but this is basically a circumstance of being an All Black.

“I’m sorry mate, this is the pressure, especially at 10, because you guys just pile s*** on players, I’m sorry.

“It’s the public, everyone has their opinion, but poor Damian McKenzie in terms of his win-loss record in finals, it’s quite extraordinary.”

The Wallaby came to the defence of McKenzie in the end, refusing to pin the blame solely on the Chiefs No.10 for the result.

“You can’t blame that game [on McKenzie]… that game was won across 1 to 23. They picked the worst game to have their worst night. Statistically they had the best lineout at 92 per cent, their lineout failed in the first 20 minutes,” he said.

“Once you take those things away from a side that needs possession, then you have the Hurricanes, they had the fifth or sixth best lineout but scored 20 more tries. They are a team that didn’t need possession. They can still score.”