As the All Blacks prepare to kick off their highly anticipated test series against South Africa next weekend, New Zealand’s national rugby union side is waiting anxiously on fitness updates for starting fullback Damian McKenzie, who picked up an ankle injury earlier this week during a tour match against the Sharks.
The team wrapped up their final warm-up fixture this past Saturday at Pretoria’s iconic Loftus Versfeld stadium, securing a lopsided 50-19 victory over the Bulls. In a post-match press conference, All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie delivered an update on the squad’s injury list, offering a more optimistic outlook for two other injured backs: scrumhalf Cam Roigard (calf strain) and winger Will Jordan (back issue).
Both players have yet to take the field on the South African tour, alongside rested captain Ardie Savea, who only arrived in the country this past Thursday after being given time off ahead of the test series. Rennie noted that the coaching staff remains confident Roigard and Jordan will be cleared to play next week, saying, “Both of them we want to have a full week of training. They’re ticking enough boxes.”
While the outlook is less certain for McKenzie, who twisted his ankle in Tuesday’s clash with the Sharks, Rennie still holds out hope the star fullback will be available for the opening test. “Damian we’re less confident about but still think he’s a good chance to play in the weekend,” Rennie said. “Hopefully he can train well on Tuesday. The expectation is all three of those guys will be available.” If all three pass fitness tests, they are all set to start in the first test against the Springboks at Johannesburg’s Ellis Park next Saturday.
Injury replacement flyhalf Richie Mo’unga, who joined the squad late this past Friday following an injury to another player, will not be considered for selection in the first test, Rennie confirmed. Mo’unga’s first appearance for the All Blacks since the 2023 Rugby World Cup is scheduled to come three days after the opening test, when the side faces the provincial Lions side.
The injury crisis has opened the door for other players to claim starting spots, most notably winger Josh Moorby. Moorby got the start in the side’s last test against Ireland last month, and his chances of holding the number 11 jersey have risen sharply after Caleb Clarke was forced to cut his tour short with a season-ending shoulder injury. Rennie also highlighted strong recent performances from loose forwards Peter Lakai and Anton Segner following the Bulls win.
Rennie explained that several starting positions for the first test were still up for grabs heading into the final warm-up, and the team’s performance against the Bulls would factor heavily into final selection calls. “We’ve got a plan around selection and there were a handful of positions that were going to be decided on tonight’s performance,” he said.
The match against the Bulls marked the All Blacks’ first game at high altitude on the tour, and Rennie said the challenging conditions will better prepare his side for the tests ahead. “We’ve not had a game at altitude and we worked really hard in those circumstances and we’ll be better for it,” he added. “We know the quality we come up against next week is three, four, five fold. We’ve played reasonably well on tour and we know we need to up the ante.”
Codie Taylor, who has served as tour captain in Savea’s absence, praised the forward pack’s steady improvement throughout the warm-up fixtures, particularly the scrum – an area that has been dominated by the Springboks in recent encounters between the two sides. “From where we started with the Stormers and built our way through these club games I feel like we’ve made some great strides as a forward pack,” Taylor said. “By no means are we the finished product … and it will be even tougher next week. But we can be really happy and confident with the steps we’re taking.”