Reports suggest Damian McKenzie move to Premiership imminent

Reports linking All Blacks fullback Damian McKenzie with a move to the Premiership are persisting after it was claimed this weekend that he was in advanced talks with Leicester Tigers.

The Rugby Paper reported that McKenzie is eyeing a move to the Premiership after he failed to make inroads with the All Blacks after making his debut for the World Champions in last year’s Rugby Championship.

Reports suggests that the Tigers had originally been in talks with his older brother Marty, before turning their attention to the younger of the pair.

The emergence of Jordie Barrett has seen McKenzie pushed down the pecking order, with many commentators suggesting the evasive fullback’s lack of size has seen him lose out the 6’5 brother of Beauden Barrett.

While he was called back into the All Blacks squad for the Lions series after a concussion injury to Ben Smith, he failed to feature against the Lions.

The acquisition of McKenzie would be a major coup for the Tigers after a relatively disappointing 2016/17 season.

On 1 October 2016, McKenzie made his international test debut coming off the bench in the 48th minute during New Zealand’s 36-17 win over Argentina in the 2016 Rugby Championship Tournament. On the 2016 All Blacks Northern Hemisphere Tour and following the All Blacks’ first ever defeat to Ireland, he made his starting debut in the starting 15 playing at Fullback in the teams’ 68-10 win over Italy.