Chiefs head coach has confirmed the reasons behind moving Damian McKenzie to fullback for last night’s win over the Blues in Auckland.
McKenzie started every game of the season for the Chiefs last year in the No. 10 jersey, before being used by Scott Robertson as the All Blacks first five.
The Chiefs loaded bench featured six capped All Blacks, which may have also included McKenzie had enough players been fit.
“If we had a couple more backs available, then it may well have been that Damian started on the bench,” McMillan said.
“But that wasn’t the case so he started at the back. He’s our guy, you know he’s our 10.
“The other guys are talented and chasing him, but tonight Josh got an opportunity and I thought he did extremely well.”
Without fullback Shaun Stevenson, who is on a short-term sabbatical, McKenzie was a stop-gap solution.
The decision to load the bench was partly to reward those who had done the full pre-season with starting roles, and partly to “look after the players”.
However, McKenzie proved to be a difference maker once back at first five after Jacomb was subsitituted in the 50th minute, coming up with two massive plays.
The 29-year-old livewire bagged a try scooting around the outside of All Black centre Rieko Ioane with the Blues’ defence stretched in the 53rd minute
In the dying stages of the game in the 75th minute McKenzie bagged his second of the night to give the Chiefs an unassailable lead.
