There’s nothing to be gained by playing Damian McKenzie against Japan

Does that mean Damian McKenzie’s a dirttracker now?

I know Harry Plummer’s not a fully-fledged member of the All Blacks squad to play Japan, but I’d have started him at 10 against the Brave Blossoms. The guy’s been carted around for the bulk of the international season and we’re still none the wiser about whether he’s any good.

So, the fact it’s McKenzie who’s the starting first five-eighth for Saturday’s clash in Yokohama does suggest to me he’s no longer the primary playmaker in New Zealand’s best XV.

We saw Beauden Barrett picked at 10, with reasonable success, in the recent win over Australia and can now only presume he’ll be given the same responsibility when the team meets England on November 3.

Like I alluded to, there’s nothing to be gained by playing McKenzie against Japan. All Blacks coach Scott Robertson has seen all there is to see of McKenzie at test level.

But he knows next to nothing about Plummer, Ruben Love (who’s in the reserves this week) or even Stephen Perofeta who, let’s remember, is a first five-eighth by trade.

Is McKenzie an insurance policy against defeat to Japan? Surely not. I mean the All Blacks have to be too good to be worrying about that.

Equally, what would it matter if Saturday’s game ended in another defeat. We’ve become so accustomed to those over the last few years that another one wouldn’t suddenly cause New Zealand Rugby’s empire to crumble.

It’s not like it’s not falling down in a few places already.

As I look at this 23, the least interesting player to watch this week is undoubtedly McKenzie.

Centre Billy Proctor appears to be making huge strides, Cam Roigard’s back at halfback, Wallace Sititi gets a start at No.8, Samipeni Finau’s at 6 and Peter Lakai will hopefully get a few good minutes off the bench.

These are guys with the potential to force their way into the All Blacks’ top side and I’ll be intrigued to see what they make of the opportunity.

As an aside, I read - as if it were news - that Robertson has made mass changes to this game. Sorry, am I meant to be surprised that the All Blacks’ second XV is getting a run against one of the two second-class opponents included on the itinerary?

I thought that was the point - if we overlook the obvious reason of money - of Japan and Italy being on the schedule.

If the bulk of this Saturday’s team gets named to play England, then that’ll be news. In the meantime, you’ll have to forgive me for not being bowled over by the revelation that the 23 to meet Japan differs from the one that beat Australia.

You don’t say.

No, if there’s news out of this team naming, it’s that McKenzie’s days as the designated first five-eighth appear to be numbered - if not over - and that, as a result, we’ve likely seen the last of Will Jordan languishing on the wing.

That’s good news in my book.