McKenzie weighs

YOU assume a few folk are forced to eat their words, while watching Damian McKenzie play footy.

The All Blacks’ fullback is a gambler. A boy - he’s only 22 - who’s happy to back his hunches and only imagines positive outcomes. I mean what’s the worst thing that could happen?

And in his hurry to turn halfchances into points, McKenzie has produced the odd error during an eventful six-test career. Cue the complaints of those watching from the couch.

‘‘He’s not a test fullback. I’ve always said it. Too small, not accurate enough. He’s going to cost us a World Cup one day.’’ On and on you imagine people go. Right up until the point McKenzie does something amazing. Then the same blokes are suddenly rolling out lines about ’’what a player’’ he is.

It would be nice never to do anything wrong in life or to never want a moment back. But, in McKenzie’s case, it’s unlikely to be a dropped ball or an errant pass that he’s criticised for in team meetings.

‘‘The coaches aren’t going to yell at you for trying something. They’d probably be a bit more disappointed if you were hesitant and didn’t do something,’’ McKenzie said ahead of the All Blacks’ clash with Argentina in Buenos Aires. ’’I try to not be too silly about things, but I don’t mind taking a risk if I have to.’’

Those who don’t think McKenzie is a test fullback might be right. He might, in fact, be a test first five-eighth. We’re likely to see him play both, at Estadio Jose Amalfitani this morning (NZT).

It’s one thing to play the role of the grinning boy wonder from fullback, but first-five’s traditionally been the domain of more stolid types.

If McKenzie does play the last 20 or 30 minutes at No.10 on Sunday, there’s a fair chance folk are going to have cause to sit forward in their seats.

‘‘For me, some of it’s planned and some you just play, you know. The pictures are going to change out on the field so throughout the week you might see opportunities here and come Saturday it might change,’’ said McKenzie.

‘‘It’s about adapting on the go and just playing and you’ve just got to be confident in your call and, once you’ve made your call, you’ve got to back yourself and just go with it. It can be a bit of both [planned or off-the-cuff] but for me it’s probably more about just going out there and seeing the picture and doing it.’’

There’s also that aspect of literally having to take charge of the team at 10. Between Aaron Cruden at the Chiefs and then Barrett, Cruden and Lima Sopoaga in the All Blacks’ environment, McKenzie hasn’t hade huge recent exposure to running a cutter.

And this isn’t any old boat,

The coaches aren’t going to yell at you for trying something.’ DAMIAN MCKENZIE

either. The good ship All Blacks contains some fairly impressive and, potentially intimidating, men. Not everyone can just roll on in and start telling them where to be and what to do.

That McKenzie feels able to do that, isn’t to do with any gambler’s streak or bravado. It’s more likely to be born of knowing he’s done the bits and pieces from Sunday to Friday that only his team-mates see.

‘‘Just the little things like that which enables you to get confidence and then you can look yourself in the mirror and know you’ve done it well and that come Saturday you’re ready to go.’’