A "please explain" for Damian McKenzie, after the playmaker missed the team bus from the All Blacks hotel in San Diego last month... and had to make his own way to the LA airport - a journey of more than 200 kilometres
A "please explain" for Damian McKenzie, after the playmaker missed the team bus from the All Blacks hotel in San Diego last month... and had to make his own way to the LA airport - a journey of more than 200 kilometres
16 August 2024
The Herald understands the first five-eighths has apologised to teammates for missing the bus the day after thumping Fiji 47-5 in San Diego, but avoided punishment or disciplinary sanction.
It's understood to be the first off-field indiscretion of Scott Robertson's tenure as All Blacks coach and his reaction is different from the traditionally hard line of his predecessors, Ian Foster and Sir Steve Hansen.
Last year, during the Rugby World Cup, Foster dropped wing Mark Tele'a for disciplinary reasons, reportedly for breaching team curfew ahead of the quarter-final against Ireland. At the time, Foster said it wasn't a major indiscretion but warranted punishment.
© 2025 Newstalk ZB, NZCity