Damian Mckenzie Best Moments
Carlito Austin
I actually think Dmac's best chance at test rugby is at 10. He played really well there v Argentina. I don't believe the cross field running a la league that he showed during Super 12 will cut it in the the test arena but I think there is scope to bring him on at 10 in the last 20. He's worked on his punting the last few years prob needs a little more distance and he'll be fine.
I love Damian McKenzie. He got me, a fanatic football (American) fan to put down my loathing of non-American sports and see the excitement in rugby. Now, I love rugby more than any other. Anyway, I can understand if you think he should come off the bench vs starting... but not making the 23 seems mad to me. I think the coaching staff needs to let him go and be himself.
I appreciate this is not the the crux of the article but saying Wales and Australia would be lucky to win a game is staggering. It also amazes me how England routinely get beaten with the arrogant stick with comments like this from Kiwis.
Your opinion has been well received Moe I'm sure however, if you had read some previous comments, it would suggest that coaching staff, not Damien McKenzie, are being blamed for a below parr performance by the All Blacks. Poor selection and performance in key positions maybe? No disrespect to a quality player in Damien McKenzie, as we have seen some exciting plays from him in the black jersey, the article is being used as an example of poor selection and performance. No malice intended I'm sure....
You can't blame one man for a shit performance from the whole team. Considering it is young squad. Like everyone else it's only your own opinion as mine.
Unfortunately going after one man ain't gonna do you any justice . You might as well point fingers at the coaching . End of the day it's only ones opinion.
That's such nonsense. Wales are a good team at strength. They definitely suffer from some All Blacks hoodoo, but it's doubtful a super rugby team could undo them. And how are you ranking Damien Mackenzie? On fancy stuff I guess. I think he is just guilty of not matching the razzle dazzle he brings at the lower super level . Are his error rate, decision making, defence, really that bad?
Finally someone brave enough to front the Waikato mob. McKenzie is a gifted player but Jordie Barrett has gone from a good super rugby player to a great full back. Mckenzie's strength is coming off the bench and sliding through half gaps, off loading and creating chances when the defence is tired. He is not tall enough to defuse the up and unders and leaves the All Blacks exposed to that attack. The problem that Ian Foster has is that virtually no one wanted him as coach and his refusal to pick the best people in the each position comes back to haunt him when we lose. The Italy game was a case in point. I get that it's "a log tour, and we have have to keep people fresh" but that was terrible. Yes we won, and the scoreboard suggests comfortably, but the lack of cohesion, the lack of discipline, the lack of ability to adept to the refereeing style was alarming and that comes down to the coaches. They picked the side and they failed to make sure that they ready for the match. Unless there is a major focus change then we will not win the next world cup, in fact, I would not be surprised if we didn't make the semis. God I hope I wrong.
It is not about DMac who has played excellents/ defining games for the Abs such as vs England in 2018 and Ireland and Boks (2019). But our offense has not improved vs semifinal 2019 - Foster &Co seem to refuse innovation - just compare what Rennie and Brown do on offense. ABS rely on individual genius (great to have) but have very little creativity in attacking play (having of course amazing players available)
Even our NZ friends will have to admit that you need a flyhalf that converts his kicks in big test matches, irrespective of you play an expansive game. Carter was a wonderful goal kicker and many forget that.Pollard is a superb big match goal kicker but he is ageing fast and is a shadow of his former self. Libbock is a magnificent playmaker but he does not have big match temperament. And he has a problem with his kicks. He has a glaring problem with his technique.I would blood Sacha now. Let him run the show and learn from his mistakes. He is a brilliant rugby player but he might make a mistake here and there.With Sacha at flyhalf you would see a whole different De Allende next to him.Pollard was younger than him when he was selected for the Boks the first time.Pollard on the bench to close out big matches. Like a closing pitcher in baseball.If Libbock sorts out his goal kicking it changes the whole issue.
SA will transition in stages. Through the PONI program they have already begun their transition. They will need to develop 15-20 players in the next three years and put 20 to 40 caps on each of these players while phasing out the guys no longer relevant. I reckon they have already started that with bringing in several youngsters or fringe players in and giving them caps. Then through their structures and alignment camps they have identified a group to select from going forward. Transition will happen in phases and I reckon this year we will see just a handful of new faces which we already have. The largest change will come in 2026 where you will see all 15-20 new players lining up regularly picking up caps. Whether its enough to win in 2027 is anyones guess but I would say they will be in a similar position to France heading into last years world cup. I think the teams most likely to peak in 2027 will be the All Blacks, France and England as they are already building around a young core and will be the most experienced and cohesive groups going into 2027. Ofcourse SA will retain a core group of their golden generation but whether or not they win in 2027 will depend on how they transition.
Libbok is the best all court player, he has the most slick distribution and knows how to put players in space but lets be honest, Libbok could not hit a barn door with a shotgun. He is really poor off the tee in any conditions that resemble a challenge. Mgomezulu has to play in the same team as him so he can kick for posts. Apart from that there is a real case to have Mgomezulu in because of his attacking quality. He has to be a fullback or a centre to support him or Faf has to kick but Faf is not a long term option because he is getting on in age. The ideal would be to have Nohamba in the team because now you have a kicking scrum half who is quite reliable with the boot and who has a crisp service but the problem is his defensive weaknesses are well documented. De Allende is all class but does he make the team at the next world cup? He will be 35 or 36 at that time and thats hardly a good age for a 12. The option for me is to shift Willemse to 12, let Mgomezulu play 15, and start Libbok. That will be the combo in 2026 that seems the most versatile and hopefully Nohamba comes along and plays 9.
The VAR was established based on a false premise that the decisions would be correct. All that has happened is another referee with their own biases comes to a different opinion.We need to accept that the referee with assistants are the final arbiters of the game and only use a video review in the case of tries.Installing this level of review shows up the complexity and difficulty of getting decisions accurate at all times. It is a waste of time and money in a game with more stoppages than most, it is very frustrating to those watching the game and that is what it was supposed to fix.
Hi Nick, maybe the RFU coaches think that Asher Opoku-Fordjour isn't bulky enough for tighthead? I remember as a Sale fan thinking how small he looked coming on against Quins, expecting him to get mullered, only to be amazed at how well he held his own.
He doesn't have the instincts for it having played so much 15s, hence the best 15s player on the planet can't make the starting 7. He's capable of game breaking moments off the bench but his instinct is to play flat and put the other players on crash balls. He's still trying to play 7s like a 15s number 9.Can't actually believe Great Britain aka The Lions couldn't even qualify, what a joke. I wanted to see Adam Radwan play! :(
The All Blacks' impressive scrum effort, backed by a much tidier lineout display, was backed by a much tidier lineout display. They relished the chance to build their plays while also introducing six new players to Test match play.
The Fijians enjoyed their best moments in the middle of the second half, doing the All Blacks a favour as they introduced their substitutes en masse, ensuring those newcomers received a realistic introduction to Test play. That was most obvious for halfback Noah Hotham, whose start was made in the first half after an injury to starting halfback Cortez Ratima was injured.
Complementing the scrum performance was strong running consistently through the game by second five-eighths Anton Lienert-Brown, who took on the Fijians every time he touched the ball. He worked well with debut centre Billy Proctor, who also enjoyed an impressive display, marking the occasion with a try.
The New Zealanders took full advantage of their 58 per cent first-half possession advantage to run the ball often, freed from the confines of England's rush defence, to lead 26-5 at halftime. The Fijians' accuracy did not help them, as they missed 26 first-half tackles compared to seven by the All Blacks.
The All Blacks settled into their routines, and it was a ninth-minute kick by first five-eighths Damian McKenzie to Sevu Reece on the right wing to create the first try. Reece passed inside to Proctor, who went to the ground. Quick ball saw McKenzie step through the line. He linked with fullback Beauden Barrett, and wing Caleb Clarke cut back against the grain for the try.
Fiji struck back in the 17th minute, after a period in the All Blacks half. It was a cross-kick by first five-eighths Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula to wing Semi Redradra that opened their chance. In the tackle, the pass inside found fullback Vilimoni Botitu, who scored.
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