All Blacks player ratings: Magical Damian McKenzie dazzles in comprehensive victory
All Blacks fullback Damian Mckenzie scores a try during the Rugby World Cup 2023, Pool A match between New Zealand and Uruguay
Following New Zealand’s 73-0 victory over Uruguay, here is how we rated the All Blacks in their final Rugby World Cup pool game.
15 Damian McKenzie: Man-of-the-match and for good reason, as he masterminded Uruguay’s demise. He linked up wonderfully with Richie Mo’unga and Will Jordan, scored a brace, assisted another and knocked over two conversions. He picked open Los Teros’ defence with relative ease and had several plays that led to tries, including the incredible one-handed pass keeping the ball in play. 9
🪄 Damian McKenzie, that is ridiculous! 🤯#RWC2023 #NZLvURUpic.twitter.com/SNZbWp1xxz
— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) October 5, 2023
Super backs
14 Will Jordan: Another catalyst on attack for the All Blacks as he and McKenzie ripped through the South American’s defence. He ran in two scores and assisted another. He gained over 100 metres and ran excellent support lines, as per usual, and made good decisions. 9
13 Anton Lienert-Brown: Deserves plenty of credit for New Zealand nilling Uruguay after making a superb try-saver on Manuel Ardao. He timed his pass for Leicester Fainga’anuku’s second score, did not miss a tackle all game and hardly put a foot wrong. 8
12 Jordie Barrett: Threw a horrid ball out to Jordan that the winger somehow held onto, but that was one of the centre’s few soft moments. He lasted just 53 minutes as attention turns to the quarter-finals as he assisted a try and linked up well with Anton Lienert-Brown. 6
11 Leicester Fainga’anuku: The powerful winger will have given the coaches a bit of a selection headache after grabbing a hat-trick today. He racked up a remarkable 183 metres and evaded nine defenders. The Lyon-bound star got his hands on the ball plenty but made an impact each time he did. 8
Halfbacks
10 Richie Mo’unga: A couple of penalties against him and two misses from seven were the lowlights of his game, but he was good once the floodgates opened. He assisted and scored a try before making way for Beauden Barrett after the hour mark. 7
9 Cam Roigard: Denied early in the game but got his try soon after with some neat footwork. We are getting a sneak peek at what life after Aaron Smith looks like for the All Blacks, and Roigard is it. There were a few loose moments, but overall, it was an exciting shift. 7
Captain’s shift and powerhouse Frizell
8 Luke Jacobson: A couple of poor passes, but besides that, it was a strong game from the number eight, who assisted a try and regularly got his hands on the ball for carries and passes. 7
7 Sam Cane: The All Blacks coaches will be pleased that the skipper got through a relatively faultless 80-minute performance. He made his tackles, passed and tackled well and won a turnover. There is room for some improvement, but it was far from a poor shift. 7
6 Shannon Frizell: Boy, did the All Blacks miss the impact of the blindside flanker in the opening game. Frizell put in a handy shift against Italy and backed that up tonight as he was brutally dominant on both sides of the ball and assisted a try. 8
Whitelock’s milestone and injury concerns
5 Tupou Vaa’i: A real threat with ball in hand for the Uruguayan defence as he gained over 30 metres but was guilty of missing a few tackles and conceded a penalty. 6
4 Sam Whitelock: Notched up his 150th Test cap for New Zealand, becoming the first All Blacks player to do so, and was rightfully given a standing ovation when he departed. He was gassed on the outside in the first half, but other than that, it was an assured shift, making his tackles and running a flawless lineout. 7
3 Tyrel Lomax: Managed just nine minutes before he was forced off with an injury, and while he made four tackles and looked sharp, he was not on long enough to warrant a fair rating. N/A
2 Codie Taylor: Continues to nail down the starting jumper with another strong shift, gaining 24 metres from five carries, won two turnovers, hit his jumper with all of his lineout darts and denied Uruguay a potential try with a cracking hit. 8
1 Ofa Tu’ungafasi: Got the job done around the park while the All Blacks clearly had the upper hand in the scrums. 6
Replacements: Some real notable cameos off the bench included the return of Ethan Blackadder, who was sublime. The props both got on the scoreboard while Beauden Barrett got in on the playmaking brilliance, assisting a try. The bench bulked up the scoreline after the starters softened Uruguay up. 8
