McKenzie edges Love in All Blacks No.10 race after Chiefs semi-final masterclass

Damian McKenzie’s dominant performance in the Chiefs’ semi-final demolition of the Crusaders in Hamilton has reignited the All Blacks No.10 debate, with commentator Grant Johnson suggesting McKenzie has temporarily edged Ruben Love as the frontrunner for the starting jersey ahead of the Nations Championship Test against France.

McKenzie, who marked his 150th Chiefs appearance on Friday night, was central to his side’s 40-minute dismantling of the Crusaders. Johnson, who called the match, described it as a genuine leader’s performance.

“I thought McKenzie had a Damian McKenzie game — on that form, and of course it’s a big if, but you’d think if he could play like that week in week out for the All Blacks, then maybe there wouldn’t be such a debate as we’ve been having all this time,” Johnson said on the DSPN Podcast with Martin Devlin. “But that’s something that still has to be proven, his ability to produce that at test level, but I thought he was fantastic on Friday night.”

Johnson highlighted the variety in McKenzie’s game as the key to keeping the Crusaders’ defence off balance — the switches of play, subtle delays in the pass, and a varied kicking game that mixed deft chips along the ground with aerial balls his team were able to regather.

Love, meanwhile, was withdrawn in the 50th minute of the Hurricanes’ semi-final against the Blues as coach Clark Laidlaw managed a tight calf the first-five had picked up in training. Despite the early exit, Love has been the standout playmaker in Super Rugby Pacific’s most in-form backline, operating alongside All Blacks teammates Jordie Barrett and Cameron Roigard.

Johnson is reluctant to draw firm conclusions, noting the pecking order is fluid. “Ruben Love is such a talented player, and to me, quite clearly, they are one and two in the pecking order. Last week it might have been Love, McKenzie — I don’t know, it’s hard not to chop and change with every performance,” he said.

He also raised the question of whether the Super Rugby final itself carries extra weight in the selectors’ thinking — effectively acting as a double-points decider — or whether head coach Dave Rennie’s group will take a broader view of the season as a whole.

“You have to factor in that they know what these players are capable of, and so they don’t discard things that have happened in previous years,” Johnson added, suggesting past performances will still inform selection even under a new coaching regime.