Second AB set to break rest policy
Damian McKenzie is set to become the second player to break the All Blacks’ rest policy in Super Rugby.
After Chiefs captain Brodie Retallick confirmed on Thursday he had been given the green light to play six games in a row rather than the five prescribed by New Zealand Rugby for this year, franchise team-mate McKenzie has also been given permission to do likewise.
The Chiefs head to South Africa today to face the Bulls in Pretoria next weekend, then the Jaguares in Buenos Aires, still searching for their first win of the season, despite a much-improved showing in a 23-23 draw with the Hurricanes in Hamilton on Friday night.
As part of agreements to manage personnel during World Cup year, All Blacks are required to miss two games during the Super Rugby season, not play more than 180 minutes across the first three rounds, and also not feature in more than five games in a row (byes restart that count).
McKenzie sat out the opening round with an ankle niggle, but the Bulls game would be his fifth on the trot. However, the dynamic playmaker said he would also be suiting up for the Argentinian leg of the tour.
‘‘From what I know, yep, so I’ll just do what I’m told and keep playing,’’ he said.
In Retallick’s case, the Chiefs successfully got him the extra game as their compromise with NZ Rugby was that he would miss extra travel and time on the road in not heading to Argentina, with a bonus being that that rest week backed onto the team’s first bye.
When asked how he was afforded the similar blessing of playing an extra game and how that might affect plans for the rest of his campaign, McKenzie couldn’t shed any light.
‘‘To be honest, I’m not sure yet, I haven’t really thought about it,’’ he said. ‘‘So I’ll just do what I’m told, probably. But we’ll have to see what happens.’’
When questioned on Saturday about the six successive games, an All Blacks spokesperson said queries on the issue should be directed to the Chiefs coaching staff. However, those questions, via a Chiefs spokesperson, went unanswered.
Whatever the deal, the Chiefs will be desperate to have McKenzie on the field, after starring in a return to fullback against the Hurricanes, following three appearances at first five-eighth to start the season.
‘‘I guess playing a lot of 10 the last few weeks, as a 15 you know what your 10 wants, so it was nice to be able to go out there and help [brother] Marty [McKenzie] out in his role,’’ said McKenzie junior of his altered role on Friday.
‘‘I guess [the job was about] just playing my game and just providing another game driver for Marty,and then just helping on the outsides with our defence, and just try to find a bit of voice, and a bit more freedom to have a crack and play some footy, so it was enjoyable to have a bit more space.’’
Chiming into the attack with his noted X-factor, McKenzie scored a superb try and also kicked five from six off the tee – one monster effort from 58 metres on the angle, which he modestly tried to put down to ‘‘a bit of a draft behind me’’, with his sole miss a quarter of an hour from time in the end proving costly.
‘‘That would have been nice to go over as well, which would have put us in front.’’
Despite missing 36 tackles – their most for the year – there was better stuff from the Chiefs’ defence, conceding just the two tries, the least of their campaign, against a side with multiple attacking threats. They were also more patient with ball in hand and took better options.
‘‘It was a step in the right direction, there was a lot of positive stuff out there, and moving forward we can take a lot of confidence out of that,’’ McKenzie said of a result that snapped their losing streak, before their task against a Bulls side who have been impressive before this weekend’s bye.
‘‘We know it’s going to be a physical challenge . . . in Pretoria . . . But it’s exciting.’’
Coach Colin Cooper said playing McKenzie at fullback was set to continue, and they would reassess the No 10 spot, with Jack Debreczeni having been going to start against the Hurricanes before falling ill.
A squad of 27 for the two-game tour will be named today.