Damian McKenzie has become a positional necessity.
After a couple of strong campaigns in the No 10 jersey, the Chiefs and All Blacks first five-eighths was, somewhat surprisingly, deployed at fullback in the opening round of the new Super Rugby Pacific season.
He will again run out with the No 15 on his back when the Chiefs host the Crusaders in Hamilton on Friday night, but don’t expect the return to fullback to be a long-term move for the 29-year-old.
“You never say never; if Josh [Jacomb] continues to play well and Damian does what he does from the back or in the front then we’re going to be a pretty happy team,” Chiefs’ coach Clayton McMillan said.
Instead, McKenzie playing at fullback is a move forged by what the team needs.
In last weekend’s 25-14 win over the Blues, winger Etene Nanai-Seturo – who made five starts at fullback in 2024 – picked up a significant hamstring injury and is expected to miss an extended period of the season.
Utility back Kaleb Trask also sustained a hamstring injury last weekend when he ran out for the Chiefs’ development squad.
With incumbent fullback Shaun Stevenson on a short-term deal in Japan and not due home until round four, McMillan was left with little choice.
“Three of our other viable fullback options are dinged up so Jim [McKenzie] has to go in the back.”
Josh Jacomb has started the season as the Chiefs' first five-eighths. Photo / Photosport
After the side’s win over the Blues at Eden Park on Saturday, McMillan revealed that McKenzie may have joined several of the team’s other All Blacks on the bench if they had more players available.
McKenzie flourished in the contest, however, with two tries, three linebreaks, a game-high 76 running metres, and accounting for 20 of his side’s 25 points, while Jacomb deputised well at first five-eighths.
“He’s our guy. He’s our 10,” McMillan said after the contest. “The other guys are talented and chasing him. Josh got an opportunity and I thought he did extremely well.”
The Chiefs were the only Kiwi team to make several changes to their starting lineup for this weekend’s round, with All Blacks Aidan Ross, Tupou Vaa’i, Anton Lienert-Brown and Emoni Narawa all re-entering the run-on XV after starting on the bench against the Blues.
Jahrome Brown will also start at openside, the Putāruru-born flanker making his Chiefs’ debut after five seasons with the Brumbies, with Rameka Poihipi getting the start at second five-eighths.
There will still be plenty of firepower on the bench, however, with All Blacks Samipeni Finau and Cortez Ratima again named to make their impact in the game late, while Quinn Tupaea joins the bench after starting last weekend.
“It’s a long season. These guys are going to be starting more games than they’re not,” McMillan said of Finau and Ratima.
“I don’t know if you’ve taken the opportunity to look at our first six games, but there are no free ones there, so we’ve got to be smart around how we use them.”
