A “shot clock” will be shown on Eden Park’s big screens and the television broadcast for the All Blacks’ second Test against England on Saturday, coming after Damian McKenzie’s high-profile “timed out” error in Dunedin last weekend.
Lining up a penalty from close range with two minutes remaining that would have eased the All Blacks out to a 19-15 lead, referee Nika Amashukeli ruled the All Blacks No.10 had taken longer than the allowed 60 seconds, and awarded England a scrum.
No.8 Ben Earl wasted no time picking up the ball and McKenzie’s tee as he celebrated the error and the potential for the visitors to nick a win at the death. As it was, the All Blacks survived 16-15.
Both McKenzie and head coach Scott Robertson welcomed the idea of a shot clock to indicate the time remaining for goalkickers. Many overseas stadiums have such a facility and it can be popular with crowds, who often join in with their own countdowns.
In a press conference immediately afterwards, McKenzie admitted the error was his alone and said it wouldn't happen again.
New Zealand Rugby confirmed the news in a statement this afternoon.
“NZ Rugby can confirm that there will be a shot clock shown on the stadium big screen and broadcast for this weekend’s Test match in Auckland,” the statement read.
“This will also be in place for all home Test matches in 2024. The current process using the referee to communicate with the kicker has been successfully used in Super Rugby Pacific for the past two seasons and continues to be an effective way to monitor the time.”
England, who haven't beaten the All Blacks in New Zealand since 2003, face another big challenge at Eden Park. The All Blacks haven't lost there since 1994 when they fell to France.
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