McKenzie’s role on this tour is now destined to be one of impact off the bench
Gregor Paul in London
Branded by a former England playmaker earlier this week as old, slow and past his best, Beauden Barrett has been picked to start at No 10 with a licence to prove at Twickenham that stories of his demise have been greatly exaggerated.
Barrett’s selection at 10 came as no surprise – it had been signalled by him being in the advance party that left Japan early to fast-track preparations for this coming test against England – but it does, nevertheless, constitute a significant shift in thinking, both about the player himself and the type of rugby the All Blacks feel they need to be able to play.
His presence in the No 10 jersey at Twickenham is being sold as a horses-for-courses selection to give the All Blacks the strategic kicking game they need to play Northern Hemisphere-style rugby.
And by picking Barrett to start, there is effectively a double admission that the All Blacks’ coaching group recognise that there has been a weakness to date in their kicking game, and that they don’t necessarily have the requisite faith in Damian McKenzie, the No 10 they have mostly picked in 2024, to deliver it.
What this means for McKenzie’s longer-term future is hard to know quite yet, but certainly for this tour, it would seem unlikely he’ll be handed the playmaking keys, given the style of rugby the All Blacks believe they will need to implement to beat England, Ireland and France.
Damian McKenzie started against Japan last week. Photo / Photosport
Winter rugby in Northern Europe makes different demands of teams. It’s slower, more structured, more collision-orientated and it requires a greater range of tactical variations to break down defences.
“A little bit,” head coach Scott Robertson said when he was asked whether Barrett’s selection reflected the nature of the opposition and likely structure of the test.
“Beauden is experienced, and he understands what it is with the Northern tours whether it is out of his hands, off his foot, his game management.
“He’s very instinctive with the way he plays but he also knows how to get you around the field. We believe he is the best one for this week.”
As to whether Barrett’s selection could be considered a reflection of McKenzie’s shortcomings, Robertson was adamant that was not the case.
“When we gave Beauden a crack he was great and tactically, how these games are played, we know either of them are awesome off the bench.
“With Beauden this is his chance, and you need to have two or three 10s in your team.”
The message poking through is that Barrett is seen as the better game manager – the more likely of the two to enable the All Blacks to retain their structure for longer, to better read where England are vulnerable and to make the simple but effective decisions about which area of the field the team need to be in at any given point.
And this is why a cloud hangs over McKenzie’s longer-term future as an international 10, because they are not skills only relevant when playing in the Northern Hemisphere.
This is the job description for an international first-five and it’s difficult to conjure a scenario in which the All Blacks will make geographic-influenced selections – utilising McKenzie’s running game against the likes of Australia and Fiji who like to open things up, and then move in Barrett to grind out the wins in the colder climes of Europe.
For now, the conclusion should be reached that Barrett has been identified as the No 10 with the best ability to deliver the type of rugby the coaches want the team to play and that this is not contingent on the venue or opposition.
McKenzie’s role on this tour is now destined to be one of impact off the bench – a demotion of sorts, yes, but a vital job nevertheless because the inability of the All Blacks to use their reserves to change the dynamic has been a consistent failing this year.
And it’s maybe the make-up of the bench that signifies why this All Blacks team playing in London is a different beast to the one that met England earlier this year in New Zealand.
In the quest to produce 80-minute performances, the All Blacks now have a 23 with more depth, and eight reserves who look better equipped to offer a point of difference to the players they are likely to replace.
The presence of Cam Roigard and McKenzie has given the bench two dynamic, unpredictable footballers, while the return to full fitness of Patrick Tuipulotu gives more grunt and experience at lock.
It’s a bench, in comparison with who was being picked in July, with more experience, more variation and more ability to inject energy and accuracy into the performance.
All Blacks v England, Sunday 4.10am. Live commentary on Newstalk ZB, Gold Sport and iHeartRadio. Live match blog at nzherald.co.nz
