Two All Blacks greats have made it pretty clear: the fly-half job for New Zealand’s upcoming Tests should go to either Ruben Love or Damian McKenzie, not Beauden Barrett. And one of them has a blunt message for new head coach Dave Rennie. Pick one, and don’t flip-flop.
Justin Marshall and Kieran Read both said on the GBRANZ podcast that Barrett, a two-time World Rugby Player of the Year, isn’t in the conversation for the No. 10 jersey right now. Barrett has barely played there recently in Super Rugby Pacific, and his form hasn’t forced anyone’s hand.
“If I’m looking in from the outside, one of these two probably starts that first Test,” Read said. “I think those two are the 10s right now. Beaudy hasn’t played 10 much, so you can’t judge him on that. He will be in the squad and be around somewhere.”
Love and McKenzie face off in Saturday’s Super Rugby Pacific final between the Hurricanes and Chiefs. It’s a game that could shape Rennie’s thinking, but Read warned against reading too much into one match. “Your forward pack could be going backwards,” he said. “Suddenly you’re getting ball that’s not looking the same as the opposition. You’ve got to be able to see that picture and not weigh too much on one thing.”
Marshall was more direct. The former scrum-half said he doesn’t care which one gets the nod — he just wants Rennie to commit.
“I just hope they pull the trigger on whoever it is out of those two,” Marshall said. “Pick that player to play 10 for 80 minutes. Don’t pick that player to play 10 who can move to full-back or play on the wing. It’s like, ‘you know what, you’re our guy and for 80 minutes your responsibility is to drive this team around.’ I don’t like this theory of ‘how’s our bench looking?'”
Marshall pointed to the greats. Jonny Wilkinson. Dan Carter. They wore their jersey, played there, and usually only came off if they were hurt or gassed in the final minutes. He wants that kind of clarity from Rennie, especially after the confusion under Scott Robertson.
Robertson never really settled on a first-choice 10 last year. McKenzie started eight straight tests early on, then Barrett took over when McKenzie’s form dipped. But neither could consistently spark the attack. The result? A team that lacked continuity at the most important position on the field.
Now it’s Rennie’s problem. He has to figure out who runs the show.
Love has been the revelation of the Super Rugby season. The Hurricanes are scoring tries at a ridiculous rate — first team to crack 100 tries in a regular season — and Love has been the engine. Marshall noted his maturity. “Time in the jersey’s done that for him, which he hasn’t had for a long time because he’s been switching between 10 and 15,” Marshall said.
McKenzie has the edge in experience at the international level. But Love is playing 80 minutes week in, week out, and learning every game. Read said that counts for something. “He’s been seeing that week in and week out,” Read said. “He will be learning every week too.”
Whoever Rennie picks, Marshall’s demand is loud and clear: commit. No switching. No 60-minute auditions. Pick your guy and live with it.
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