Super Rugby: Marty McKenzie ready to fill his brother's big boots

With Damian McKenzie unavailable for the Chiefs this week, it's no surprise to see his older brother Marty take up his residence in jersey # 10.

A Provincially Tested Merchandise for Taranaki, McKenzie , 25 years old He 's ranked in the first five eighth of the Chiefs' clash against the Hurricanes tonight, only making his third start of the year.

Although his time on the Super Rugby paddock is limited this season, he gave Colin Cooper

McKenzie joined Cooper at Taranaki in 2014 where he jumped right into the No. 10 jersey.

In his first year with the team, he led them to the provincial title. Having also spent time in the Māori All Blacks system when Cooper was the coach, McKenzie proved his ability to handle the game.

"If the coach has the belief that you're here to play, it's a big one "I've been waiting for another opportunity to start since the Sharks match and obviously Damian has a week off this week, there's obviously a chance for someone to take the Place of the 10 ".

Unlike his brother, McKenzie is unlikely to offer flamboyant and uncontrollable playing style; instead, he proposes a more traditional No10 in the middle of the park. C & # 39; is a key difference between the two, and one McKenzie said that he had helped his younger brother to improve throughout the season.

Damian, in his first year as Chiefs N ° 10, showed a real improvement in his ability to read a game and act accordingly. have taken advantage of his strong offensive game throughout the year, and McKenzie said that it was not surprising to see his brother flourish in the role.

"He picked it up fast enough to be fair, he's naturally talented"

It's an interesting match for McKenzie and the Chiefs this weekend, as they seem more than likely to meet the Hurricanes for two weeks in a row The teams are expected to finish the regular season fourth and fifth in the standings and will be in the first round of the playoffs.

A 23-point win for the Chiefs on Friday night gives them The opportunity to host the quarter-finals at home, while the Hurricanes need only a bonus point to retain their advantage on the field next weekend.