Returning Chiefs star Damian McKenzie plays down finals-footy No 10 audition for All Blacks

Thursday, 4 June 2026

Damian McKenzie might be back at a pivotal time to push his case, but the star Chiefs playmaker is playing down any thoughts of a finals-footy No 10 audition for the All Blacks.

Until new national coach Dave Rennie unveils his first lineup of the year in four weeks’ time, and then even beyond, intrigue is sure to remain over who of veteran Beauden Barrett, rising star Ruben Love, or middle man McKenzie, is chiefly employed in the first-five role, before Richie Mo’unga re-enters the fray later in the year.

The Super Rugby Pacific playoffs, starting this weekend, will provide a decent stage for the trio to jockey for position, albeit with Barrett remaining sidelined for the Blues with a quad injury.

McKenzie, on the other hand, returns from two weeks out with concussion, as one of a heap of heavy-hitters Jono Gibbes has brought back for Saturday night’s qualifying final against the Reds in Hamilton.

In what was a freak knockout blow when trying to tackle the Highlanders’ Lucas Casey, but having the loose forward’s boot whack his face, McKenzie says seeing one replay of the nasty incident was quite enough, after he was left with a bloodied mouth inside and out, and lay face-down on the turf in such a bad way that didn’t even allow him an attempt at a head-injury assessment.

“That night I watched it back, I kind of remembered the instance and then once it happened you don’t really remember much, to be fair,” he tells the Waikato Times.

“It was obviously not nice and you don’t like going through situations like that, so for me in the last couple of weeks it was obviously really important to look after my health and get my head right.

“I’m feeling really good now… was back training with the team last week out on the field, which was great… I’ve done everything I’ve needed to do to give myself confidence to play… and I’m ready and excited to go.”

Having been put on the mandatory 12-day stand-down which saw him miss the loss to the Crusaders in Christchurch, McKenzie then also sat out last week’s thumping win over the Blues in Hamilton after being recommended to go through a few more tests.

That was also on the back of having sustained another concussion seven weeks prior, in the victory over the Force in Perth, which duly saw him miss the following week’s home win against the Waratahs.

Along with skipping the first three rounds on paternity leave, it has made for far less game-time than the 31-year-old has been accustomed to in a Super Rugby season, but McKenzie has nevertheless been happy with where his form has been at.

“You obviously want to keep as much continuity as you can, but that’s just sometimes the way the cookie crumbles, and you’ve just got to make do with what you’ve got,” the 148-game veteran says.

“I guess it’s just the way you bounce back and respond. And I feel ready and fit to go, so I’ve just got to be able to step up, I’ve been here long enough to understand that.”

And so what does the 74-test rep make of the battle, then, for that coveted black No 10 jersey, with drums starting to beat louder for Love at the high-flying Hurricanes?

“It’s not really a battle,” McKenzie reckons. “It’s more you take care of business at your Super Rugby franchise and you do as much as you can to put yourself in a position where you potentially get selected for an All Blacks squad.

“And what happens after that happens. It’s always nice to have that healthy competition in New Zealand rugby, and there’s a lot of it at the moment.”

While McKenzie notes he has “a great relationship” with Rennie, who was his coach when he was recruited to the Chiefs as a 19-year-old, he knows that counts for nothing unless he’s playing good rugby, and says their chats so far haven’t really centred on any plans ahead, including whether playing No 15 could in fact be more of an option at the top level.

“I’ve played a lot of fullback when Rens was coaching,” McKenzie notes.

“Look, at the next level, you just want to be playing rugby, any opportunity you get.

“I’ve played a couple of games at 15 this year, so to be able to jump between the two is always great.

“We’ll just see what they’re thinking, there’s still a bit of water to go under the bridge before that team’s selected.”

Meanwhile, there will be another Chiefs All Black returning from injury with a point to prove this weekend, with winger Leroy Carter back via the bench after missing the past four games with a hamstring injury suffered in the win over the Fijian Drua at Super Round in Christchurch.

His return offsets news that another All Blacks winger, Emoni Narawa, and fellow outside back Etene Nanai-Seturo, won’t now be back for any playoffs action, due to foot injuries which have had them sidelined for two months.

Samisoni Taukei’aho, Tupou Vaa’i, Simon Parker, captain Luke Jacobson and Quinn Tupaea, all rested from last weekend’s 59-34 belting of the Blues, are back on deck, in a Chiefs starting lineup boasting 10 All Blacks and a further four on the bench.

Prop Ollie Norris (knee) and fullback Isaac Hutchinson (concussion) also return, while Kyle Brown is recalled at centre for Daniel Rona (hand), with props Reuben O’Neill and Benét Kumeroa, and halfback Xavier Roe, all slated to be available for a potential semifinal next weekend.

Chiefs: Isaac Hutchinson, Liam Coombes-Fabling, Kyle Brown, Quinn Tupaea, Kyren Taumoefolau, Damian McKenzie, Cortez Ratima, Wallace Sititi, Luke Jacobson (c), Simon Parker, Tupou Vaa’i, Josh Lord, Sione Ahio, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Ollie Norris. Reserves: Brodie McAlister, Jared Proffit, George Dyer, Seuseu Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Samipeni Finau, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Josh Jacomb, Leroy Carter.