McKenzie in doubt for Chiefs’ big derby clash
The Chiefs could be dealt a major blow for Friday’s big Super Rugby derby against the Hurricanes in Wellington, with first five-eighth Damian McKenzie in doubt for the contest, due to his hip injury.
The star playmaker took the knock in Saturday’s 21-19 win over the Blues in Hamilton, which forced him from the field round the half-hour mark.
After the match Chiefs coach Colin Cooper said the injury to the All Blacks utility wasn’t too serious, and that McKenzie could have played on if really required, but that they didn’t see the need to risk him.
Now, speaking before the team’s training session yesterday, Cooper said McKenzie ‘‘is a work in progress, so one to two weeks with him’’, leaving the possibility open of him playing the Hurricanes.
‘‘He could be right,’’ Cooper said. ‘‘If he’s not in this week he’ll definitely be right for next week [against the Reds in Brisbane].’’
McKenzie didn’t take part in yesterday’s training session, hobbling on the sideline then applying ice to the right hip.
Cooper said they wouldn’t take any risks with McKenzie if he wasn’t 100 per cent, and just a couple of weeks back assistant coach Neil Barnes had noted how there was a team policy this year to give injured players an extra week to ensure they were fully fit.
‘‘If he’s at risk, no we won’t play him,’’ Cooper said.
‘‘If he’s cleared by the medical [staff], we’ll make that decision, likely to play him.’’
The 23-year-old’s absence would be a heavy blow to the Chiefs’ chances on Friday, and a strange look to the team, with McKenzie having remarkably played in the Chiefs’ last 48 successive games, and up until Saturday’s substituting, going 80 minutes for the past 40.
Another factor to take into account is the Super Rugby teams’ requirement this year to stand down their All Blacks for two matches.
All of the Chiefs’ contingent will miss the Sharks game in Durban on May 21 due to a clash with one of the national camps, but Cooper must also find other fixtures in which to rest his big guns. So Friday could provide that opportunity to get McKenzie’s out of the way, rather than risk him.
‘‘I haven’t really thought about that, there’s too many other things going on really, but having that awareness that he definitely won’t be there for one of the South African games, we need to make sure that our next 10 is ready,’’ Cooper said.
That is either McKenzie’s brother, Marty, who replaced him against the Blues, or Tiaan Falcon, who started two games last month when Damian McKenzie went to fullback to cover injuries.
Cooper is hopeful co-captain Charlie Ngatai (hamstring) will be fit to play, after being a late scratching at the weekend, and said halfback Brad Weber (wrist) will return in either of the next two games, needing to see how both come through the week, while Tyler Ardron, who has done a sterling job slotting in at lock, would go through concussion protocols this week.
Lock Michael Allardice (groin) came through a club rugby hitout on Saturday and is available now after missing the last three games, while No 8 Taleni Seu is also back in contention after a back niggle ruled him out last weekend.
Cooper also confirmed that prop Kane Hames’ ailment, which had to date been labelled a ‘mystery illness’, was indeed concussionrelated, and that the All Blacks loosehead would be working his way through the protocols required before being considered to return to play.
Friday’s contest pits Cooper up against his old side, with him having coached the Hurricanes from 2003-2010. Not that there’s much sentiment, as he focuses on getting the Chiefs a sixth win on the bounce.
‘‘I haven’t really thought about that, it’s just concentrating on what we’re doing, and how to defend the Hurricanes,’’ he said. ‘‘All their X-factor and the way they attack is very expansive.’’