Damian McKenzie to duel Beauden Barrett but in unexpected position as Chiefs stack bench with All Blacks for 2024 final rematch
All Blacks playmakers Damian McKenzie and Beauden Barrett, who face-off in Super Rugby Pacific this weekend.
Damian McKenzie has been named in the Chiefs side for their Super Rugby Pacific opener against the Blues but at full-back rather than fly-half.
It means that the 29-year-old will be directly opposite Beauden Barrett in the rematch of the 2024 final after the Test centurion was also picked at 15.
After competing for the All Blacks number 10 shirt in 2024, they may have expected to line up in that position for Saturday’s encounter, but their duel will instead be in a different role.
McKenzie will no doubt look to impact the game as much as possible and will surely move into first receiver at times during phase play, but it is talented youngster Josh Jacomb who has been selected at fly-half for the Chiefs.
Jacomb toured with the second-string All Blacks XV squad in November and started their clash with Georgia.
It is therefore a big season for the 23-year-old and he immediately gets an opportunity to impress after being named alongside Xavier Roe at half-back.
Stacked Chiefs bench
The majority of their All Blacks stars are on the bench but it is still a strong starting backline, with Leroy Carter, Daniel Rona, Quinn Tupaea and Etene Nanai-Seturo joining McKenzie in the outside backs.
Up front, All Blacks forward Luke Jacobson captains from number eight and he is joined in the loose trio by Kaylum Boshier and Simon Parker.
The second-row sees Josh Lord and Naitoa Ah Kuoi combine, while George Dyer, Brodie McAlister and Ollie Norris complete the pack.
Bradley Slater, Aidan Ross and Reuben O’Neill are the replacement front-row, and they have been joined by a quintet of All Blacks.
However, Chiefs head coach Clayton McMillan explained that it is not some specific ploy they have devised for 2025. Instead, it is merely a decision based on the internationals’ later arrival in pre-season.
“With our Test players only rejoining us late in the pre-season, we’ve opted to bring the majority of them back via the bench,” McMillan said.
“That rewards those who have worked relentlessly over the last few months, and allows us to inject some experience later into the game.
“It’s a long season and a particularly tough opening six weeks leading into our bye. We will need to be smart around how we manage our squad and our selections this week are a reflection of that.”
The Chiefs will be looking for revenge after the Blues claimed the 2024 Super Rugby title with a dominant 41-10 triumph in the showpiece event.
Chiefs team to face Blues
Chiefs: 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Leroy Carter, 13 Daniel Rona, 12 Quinn Tupaea, 11 Etene Nanai-Seturo, 10 Josh Jacomb, 9 Xavier Roe, 8 Luke Jacobson (c), 7 Kaylum Boshier, 6 Simon Parker, 5 Josh Lord, 4 Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 3 George Dyer, 2 Brodie McAlister, 1 Ollie Norris
Replacements: 16 Bradley Slater, 17 Aidan Ross, 18 Reuben O’Neill, 19 Tupou Vaa’i, 20 Samipeni Finau, 21 Cortez Ratima, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Emoni Narawa
Date: Saturday, February 15
Venue: Eden Park, Auckland
Kick-off: 19:05 local (06:05 GMT)
Referee: Damon Murphy (Australia)
Assistant referees: Reuben Keene (Australia), Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Australia)
READ MORE: Damian McKenzie’s frank admission on All Blacks form as he reveals 2025 ambitions
