All Blacks sweating on McKenzie fitness ahead of Springboks first Test in Johannesburg

Dave Rennie has expressed cautious optimism over the fitness of three key All Blacks — Damian McKenzie, Will Jordan, and Cameron Roigard — with one week to go before New Zealand face the Springboks in the first Test of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tour in Johannesburg.

McKenzie is the most serious concern after the fullback left the field against the Sharks with an ankle injury, having played on for roughly 15 minutes after the initial knock. Rennie admitted his staff are “sweating a tad” over the 32-year-old, though he still expects McKenzie to be available by the weekend.

“Pretty confident. We’re confident that Cam and Will will come right,” Rennie said in Pretoria. “Damian, maybe we’re sweating on a tad, but still think he’ll be right. So they’ll make a difference.”

Jordan has yet to take the field in South Africa this tour, managing a back issue, while Roigard has also been absent from the touring games, with Kyle Preston and Cortez Ratima sharing the No.9 duties in his place. Rennie said both Jordan and Roigard had begun training and were tracking well.

“Both Will and Cam got through a bit of training yesterday, and we’re pretty confident they’re going to be right by next week,” Rennie said at his post-match press conference. “The expectation is that all three of those guys will be available.”

Should McKenzie fail to recover in time, the No.15 jersey would be contested between Beauden Barrett, Josh Moorby, and Emoni Narawa. Moorby started at fullback in the opening tour game against the Stormers, while Narawa has featured off the bench at the position in both subsequent matches. Barrett, who has been used at both No.10 and fullback during the tour, remains another option.

The All Blacks also called up Richie Mo’unga to the touring squad earlier this week, bolstering a playmaker group that already includes Barrett, alongside Cam Love and Jacomb. However, Rennie confirmed Mo’unga, who arrived in South Africa on Thursday NZT, will not be considered for selection in the first Test.

New Zealand head into the Johannesburg clash on the back of six consecutive wins — three in the Nations Championship in July, followed by victories over the Stormers, Sharks, and Bulls on the current tour.