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Barrett provides solution to All Blacks' first-five problem amid McKenzie struggles
SENZ • September 9th, 2024 12:51 pm
It was an ugly case of deja vu for All Blacks fans on Sunday morning (NZ time), after their team were outplayed down the stretch to drop their second consecutive Test in South Africa.
Yet again, Scott Robertson's troops let a game slip from their grasp in the final quarter after holding a halftime lead, eventually falling to an 18-12 defeat without once crossing the chalk.
The most pivotal moment of the contest came when Damian McKenzie missed a straightforward penalty that would've given the All Blacks the lead, which was immediately followed by the yellow-card infringement by Tyrel Lomax that resulted in Malcom Marx's game-sealing try in the corner.
While all of the All Blacks' 12 points came from his boot, the miss was the second of the day from very kickable range for the Chiefs playmaker, who also struggled to impose himself in general play in Cape Town.
According to former All Blacks No. 8 Richard Turner, that lack of impact in such a key position urgently needs to be addressed by Robertson and his staff, citing McKenzie's lack of game management and leadership at Test level.
"No. 10 is a real issue for us," Turner told SENZ Mornings.
"It's such a pivotal role, particularly in a game against a South African team that are massively dominant.
"You need your No. 10 to be a real general, and I just think that we're not getting that from (McKenzie).
"I'm a fan (of McKenzie) but, at the moment, we're not getting the influence in the game from him that we need."
The All Blacks have a proven first-five in their ranks in the form of Beauden Barrett, who has been preferred in the fullback role under both previous coach Ian Foster and the new regime under Robertson.
Turner says it's time to hand Barrett the keys and instead use McKenzie - whose time off the bench, where he offers similar versatility to the diminutive speedster.
"I think we have a really good No. 10 in Beauden Barrett that we need to put back there at the moment," he added.
"Let's just stick him in there and let him run the cutter."
In any case, McKenzie's days in New Zealand appear to be numbered, at least in the short term, with reports he's inked a deal with Top 14 side La Rochelle for a 2025 sabbatical.
Turner also suggests shifting Rieko Ioane from the midfield to his original position on the wing, where the All Blacks struggled last weekend without the injured Caleb Clarke, and bringing in Matt Proctor as a specialist centre.
Proctor was called into the All Blacks this season and excelled during his Test debut against Fiji in San Diego, but hasn't been selected to a game-day 23 since.
Wallace Sititi made the most of his first Test start and while Turner can see him as a long-term option, he believes he'd be more effective in his more familiar position of No. 8.
Tupou Vaa'i was another who made his mark in South Africa, with the potential he could slot in at No. 6 once lock Patrick Tuipulotu returns from injury.
Among that reshuffle, Turner would have Sititi to the back of the scrum and Ardie Savea at openside flanker, casting the Japan-bound - and therefore dispensable - Cane to the outer.
"Sam Cane is not going to be here at the end of the year, so I'm not quite sure why we're persevering with him."
Listen to the full interview below:
