Ex-All Black: The ‘big, angry’ forward Scott Robertson needs to find in order to ignite ‘best in the world’ Damian McKenzie
All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson and fly-half Damian McKenzie.
Former Test scrum-half Steve Devine believes that the success of the All Blacks – and its fly-half – hinges on who is at blindside flanker.
New Zealand’s last great number six was Jerome Kaino, who started in both the 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cup finals.
Kaino ended his Test career in 2017 and since then they have struggled to find a long-term replacement.
Shannon Frizell impressed before and during the 2023 World Cup, but his move to Japan once again left a space which needed to be filled.
Youngster Wallace Sititi then emerged, featuring regularly at blindside and being rewarded for his performances with the World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year award.
Shifting Sititi in 2025?
However, the consensus is that Sititi’s long-term position will be at number eight, which would once again leave Scott Robertson with a decision to make at six.
“If you look back at the history of the All Blacks, every time we’ve had an outstanding All Black 10, we’ve had a big, angry number six,” Devine said on Sport Nation’s Beaver & Guy show.
“I’m hoping it’s [Samipeni] Finau but he’s maybe still a year or two away. I just love having a ginormous, ranging, ball-carrying, angry number six.
“Right now, I can’t see that. I hope we don’t move Ardie [Savea] to six just to have him on the field. When we always had a great number six, we’ve always gone pretty good.”
Meanwhile, host of the show Guy Heveldt was more concerned about the fly-half slot with Robertson failing to nail down his long-term 10 last year.
“I’m still a little bit on edge about 10. I think it’s got to be Damian [McKenzie] but I’m just a little bit worried about the consistency of both of our performers at 10 in terms of Damian and Beauden [Barrett] when they’re in the black jersey,” Heveldt said.
“We just need some consistency, and I think consistency comes by playing Damian McKenzie at 10 week in, week out, and that’s been one thing that’s bugged me for a long time.
“One week he will play 10 and then the next Beauden will play 10, so give them some consistency – let them get used to playing the role.”
Fly-half and blindside interlinked
But Devine, who earned 10 caps for the All Blacks, believes the two positions are interlinked and that if Robertson can find the right blindside, it will ultimately benefit the primary decision-maker.
“I was all for DMac last year, he should have played every Test. If they want him to get better, you’ve got to give them time,” he added.
“If you give DMac the ball going forward then he’s a class above so if we have a big, angry number six running around the field, we’re more likely to get a bit of go-forward and, boom, we’re away with a number 10 that is probably the best in the world going forward.”
