All Blacks issue fresh Damian McKenzie update ahead of Springboks series
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Update.
The All Blacks have issued a fresh update on Damian McKenzie ahead of their opening Test against the Springboks, with the playmaker expected to recover from his ankle injury in time for the clash at Ellis Park.
McKenzie twisted his ankle after landing awkwardly while taking a high ball during New Zealand’s 54-0 victory over the Sharks in Durban on Tuesday.
The 31-year-old initially played on with the ankle strapped and scored a try before eventually being withdrawn during the first half as a precaution.
McKenzie will not feature against the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, but All Blacks boss Dave Rennie remains confident he will be available when the Test series gets underway a week later.
“Even with Damian injuring an ankle … we’re expecting him to be OK for the Test,” Rennie said.
The latest update is another positive sign for New Zealand after Rennie played down the severity of the injury immediately following the Sharks victory.
“He just twisted his ankle when he came down from that high ball in the first minute,” Rennie said after the game.
“He was running around; we had it strapped, but it was just a little bit ginger. So, we decided just to play it safe. He’s not too bad. We’d expect him to be fine for the first Test.”
McKenzie will now be given the opportunity to recover as the All Blacks complete the provincial stage of their Greatest Rivalry tour against the Bulls.
The opening Test against the Springboks takes place at Ellis Park on August 22.
