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Damian McKenzie bags a hat-trick and 31 points as Suntory stroll to victory

(Photo by Toru Hanai/Getty Images)

All Blacks star Damian McKenzie has produced a masterclass performance in Japan Rugby League One, scoring a hat-trick and 31 points as Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath thumped Kobelco Kobe Steelers 56-17 in Tokyo.

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The result, their seventh of the season, has propelled Suntory top the summit of the League One table, and the Sungoliath will have McKenzie to thank for their rise back to the top of the competition.

The 26-year-old fullback was at his sublime best at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, where he scored the first of his trio of tries in the 17th minute, breaking the Kobelco defence and combining with Seiya Ozaki to score out on the right wing.

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      Shortly after the half-hour mark, McKenzie latched onto a Ryoto Nakamura grubber kick inside the opposition in-goal area and dot down to extend his side’s lead to 28-5.

      The 40-test international then rounded out his hat-trick when some stunning interlinking play by the Suntory backs put McKenzie away with a clean run to the line midway through the second half.

      In addition to his three tries, McKenzie walked away with an unblemished goal-kicking record, slotting all eight of his side’s conversion attempts.

      Furthermore, he came up with a clutch, last-gasp try-saving tackle on Kobelco lock JD Schickerling, who looked set to score after breaking away down the left-hand flank, and even assisted a Tevtia Li try in injury time.

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      That try was Li’s third, meaning he joined McKenzie in scoring a hat-trick, while Wallabies midfielder and 2021 World Rugby Player of the Year nominee Samu Kerevi also crossed for a try of his own early in the first half.

      McKenzie’s personal points haul was one point shy of the League One record, which is held by Nemani Nadolo, who scored 32 points while playing for the NEC Green Rockets against the Honda Heat in the 2011 Top League.

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      reginaldgarcia 1 hour ago
      Crusaders rookie earns 'other than Dupont' praise from All Blacks star

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      JW 2 hours ago
      Kyren Taumoefolau All Blacks stance splits opinions on eligibility

      MP are a NZ side through and through, NZ is even having to pay for it.

      Yes they caved to public demand, I bet it accomplished a lot of internal goals. They could have left it to the other groups, but I’m of the belief that they weren’t showing the capability to make it work as being a good reason for NZR to jump in and do it. I think it’s actually funded 50/50 between NZR and WR though.

      (when nothing was stopping a pi player playing for any side in Super Rugby)

      Neither is that fact true. Only 3 non NZ players are allowed in each squad.


      I see you also need to learn what the term poach means - take or acquire in an unfair or clandestine way. - Moana have more slots for non eligible players (and you have seen many return to an NZ franchise) so players are largely making their own choice without any outside coercion ala Julian Savea.

      Not one of these Kiwis and Aussies would go live in the Islands to satisfy any criteria, and I’d say most of them have hardly ever set foot in the islands, outside of a holiday.

      Another inaccurate statement. Take Mo’unga’s nephew Armstrong-Ravula, if he is not eligible via ancestry in a couple of generations time, he will be eligible because he plays his rugby there (even if he’s only their for rugby and not living there), that is a recent change made by World Rugby to better reflect examples like Fabian Holland and Fakatava.

      It’s becoming the jump-ship/zero loyalty joke that international League is.

      Look I understand you’re reason to cry and make an example at any opportunity, but you don’t really need to anymore, other recent changes made by WR are basically going to stop the Ireland situation, and time (perhaps no more than a decade) will fix the rest.

      26 Go to comments
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