Scott Robertson appears set to make a decisive call on the All Blacks fly-half slot for this weekend’s second Bledisloe Cup clash against the Wallabies.
New Zealand’s head coach has so far stuck by Damian McKenzie having named him in the number 10 jersey for eight successive internationals.
McKenzie succeeded Richie Mo’unga in the role after the former Crusaders playmaker departed the country and signed a three-year deal in Japan, but his performances have been mixed.
There have been moments of brilliance but there have also been some needless errors and the odd decision-making issue.
Out of title race
The All Blacks’ attack has therefore struggled to fire regularly, which has led to them losing their grasp on the Rugby Championship title for the first time in five years.
They lost three of their first four games in the competition, including successive defeats to the Springboks in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
As a result, New Zealand Herald are reporting that Beauden Barrett is expected to replace McKenzie at fly-half for this weekend’s encounter against Australia.
It would be the first time anyone other than the 29-year-old has started in the primary decision-making role in 2024, with Robertson consistently backing the Chiefs man.
However, the All Blacks boss appears to think that the time has come to try a new player in the fly-half jersey, with Barrett getting a shot ahead of their tour to the northern hemisphere.
After a difficult first few matches for Robertson in the hotseat, it does not get any easier when they head to Europe to face England, Ireland and France over consecutive weekends in November.
It could therefore be the ideal chance to try Barrett in the 10 shirt for the first time since a 31-23 victory over Scotland back in 2022.
Backline make-up
The experienced playmaker, who has earned well over 100 caps, missed the game at the weekend through illness, forcing a late change at full-back.
Will Jordan switched from the wing and arguably produced his best performance of the season, including a superb individual try when he cut through the heart of the Wallabies’ rearguard.
Jordan therefore looks set to reprise his role at 15, the jersey in which both the player and coaches would like to see him in long-term.
Should that be the case, McKenzie may well drop to the bench and become an impact player, which he did so effectively at the Rugby World Cup.
With the All Blacks surprisingly struggling in the final 20 minutes of matches in the Rugby Championship, having that option among the replacements could be beneficial for Robertson and the team.
