Former New Zealand scrum-half Ant Strachan believes the emergence of talented playmakers like Ruben Love and Josh Jacomb could create problems for Damian McKenzie at Test level.<\/p>\n
McKenzie and Beauden Barrett were the two players who shared the fly-half duties for the All Blacks when Scott Robertson coached the men in black in 2024 and 2025.<\/p>\n
However, Robertson has been axed with Dave Rennie appointed as the All Blacks<\/a>\u2018 new head coach last month and Strachan<\/a>, who represented his country in 11 Tests between 1992 and 1995, believes with Love and Jacomb impressing at fly-half for the Hurricanes and Chiefs respectively in Super Rugby Pacific, could be a \u201cconundrum\u201d for McKenzie<\/a>\u2018s international ambitions.<\/p>\n Jacomb and McKenzie are team-mates at the Chiefs and the former started at fly-half in the Hamilton-based outfit\u2019s first three Super Rugby matches while the All Blacks star was being rested.<\/p>\n McKenzie eventually made his first appearance in the Chiefs\u2019 fourth match of the season against Moana Pasifika and after guiding them to an emphatic 57-24 victory, he retained his position in the starting line-up.<\/p>\n However, the Chiefs suffered a 33-24 loss to the Brumbies in Canberra which resulted in Jacomb returning to the run-on side at fly-half for his side\u2019s next encounter against the Western Force and helped them to clinch a 24-14 win while McKenzie was shifted to full-back.<\/p>\n Jacomb, who is 24 years old, also wore the Chiefs\u2019 number 10 jersey in their 42-14 triumph against the Waratahs while McKenzie was rested again, but the latter returned to start in their return match with Moana which they won comfortably 62-17 while Jacomb was on the bench \u2013 a position which he occupied in all the games which McKenzie started at fly-half.<\/p>\n Ruben Love in fine form for the Hurricanes<\/p>\n Meanwhile, rookie All Black Love missed the Hurricanes\u2019 first three matches of the season due to injury but returned via the bench in a 31-23 win over the Force on March before shining as their starting fly-half in their next three matches and he delivered a superb all-round performance in their 42-19 victory over the Blues this past weekend.<\/p>\n The 24-year-old plays alongside the All Blacks\u2019 first choice scrum-half Cameron Roigard which Strachan feels has helped Love to shine for the Hurricanes.<\/p>\n \u201cSo I think he can play with a lot of confidence because he knows everything inside him is taken care of,\u201d he told the DSPN<\/a> podcast with Martin Devlin.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you got to remember that because Roigard\u2019s such a threat, those inside defenders, they can\u2019t push really quickly onto Ruben Love because they\u2019ve got to check up and make sure Roigard\u2019s not exposing them. So, he does get a little bit more time, to play and to read shapes.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd he\u2019s really good at scanning in behind. He\u2019s got a good kicking game as well. But he doesn\u2019t mind to take the line on as well.<\/p>\n \u201cSo again, he\u2019s got some time to go, I think, to really fashion into a strong international candidate. But he\u2019s just building nicely. And of course, he\u2019s playing with the best nine in the country as well.<\/p>\n \u201cSo it\u2019s about partnerships, as we know. And those two are going to put some real pressure on whoever else is out there, really.\u201d<\/p>\n Love is similar to McKenzie as he can play at full-back and fly-half but Strachan believes his excellent recent form for the Hurricanes in the latter position this season could help him to cement his spot in the All Blacks set-up.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I mean, he\u2019s been immensely frustrated over the last few years because he\u2019s had some injuries, some nasty injuries. He just hasn\u2019t really been able to get his game going. And he was playing at 15 for a while, and we know those pivots can change between 15 and 10,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n All Blacks: Tana Umaga reveals how Springboks\u2019 success swayed his opinion on New Zealand Rugby selection policy stance<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cBut he\u2019s now going, \u2018Well, I\u2019m at 10, you know\u2019. Clark Laidlaw or Jason Holland, they\u2019re working extensively with him to play in that pivotal position. And I think, without throwing out Beaudie Barrett and potentially Richie Mo\u2019unga, the older boys sitting around the mix, I think they\u2019ve really got to invest in Ruben Love.\u201d<\/p>\n Strachan has also been impressed by Jacomb\u2019s performances at fly-half for the Chiefs and feels he could also be rewarded with an All Blacks call-up.<\/p>\n \u201cI know people have been critical, but Josh Jacomb as well, he started to really play well for the Chiefs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re the two younger 10s (Love and Jacomb) that are not so old that they can\u2019t handle international football. But they\u2019re just building really, really nicely into positions. And I think they\u2019re both better suited.<\/p>\n \u201cSo for me, they\u2019d be my two 10s right now as we speak. But of course, you have the experience to fall back to. And Damian McKenzie, we haven\u2019t even mentioned him yet.<\/p>\n \u2018It\u2019s exciting\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cWhere does he fit? Normally speaking, he\u2019d always be in your 23. So, it\u2019s exciting. New coaches as well.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I know (new All Blacks assistant coach) Neil Barnes is such a detail man around those technical skills. He\u2019d be working extensively with those two. And of course, he\u2019s coached Josh Jacomb at Taranaki as well, and also with the Chiefs.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I think that\u2019s exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n