Some conclusions from today's games

- Mckenzie is still too green,....... loses too many balls and defensively weak,....... IMO he has to improve big way if he wants to be called to the AB,......... and now I doubt  he will be,...... after the initial surprise effect now the defenses mark him and counteract his game,..... he's been nulified,.....

- even without playing Ngatai has shown how good he is,...... he is the one organizing the chiefs backline and breaking the opposite defenses,....... without him the chiefs backline look s quite ordinary,.......... atm Ngatai is the best 12 and he should play for the AB,....... I would play with him at 12 and Crotty at 13,........ Feikitoa is being very poor in the late weeks (true he's palying at 12 where he doesn't belong)

- Savea is the inform openside and Cane at least the 3rd (Todd is playing also quite better than him)

- Perenara is not taking the right choices,......... he's good running the ball and supporting but he doesn't distribute the game correctly,........ Weber is too green,.... has to improve his distribution skills and his passing,..... I would choose Drummond as Aaron Smith's back up and probably Ellis as 3rd choice

- Is in saders' hand and only in theirs to get back to the top of the table,....... if they don't grab this opportunity they won't deserve to win anything,...... but if they win they surely win the title,...... they cannot choke it!!!!!

 True that ,it clarifies things a bit RE:selections for McKenzie and the ABs ,as you say another year in S18s and the wider training group.Never been much on Perenara hes still making dumb choices .Saders still looking the goods though .

 ABF
I agree with you about your comment iro Mckenzie.  He was outstanding as a full back early in Super Rugby this year - but very average in recent games.  I think opposing teams have "worked" him out and identified his defense as a problem.  In any event the appointment of Ben Smith as vc indicates that Smith is to be the full back - with Dagg as back up - even though he started off top class and has also been rather quiet recently.
As to the wings Naholo had a shocker yesterday - the worst game I have ever seen him playing.   Jane was much better and that leaves a problem for the AB's at wing - since Savea has also been so-so in most matches,  When will Milner-Skudder be back?
I am not over-enthusiastic about your center comments.  Crotty was outstanding in one game when he faced the weakest defender in Super Rugby.   However, I still think that Fekitoa is a class act and would prefer him at 13 and I agree with you about Ngatai at 12.
Ardie Savea is very, very good.   He has more pace than his brother.  
Just want to add one other comment about the Jaguars - ill-discipline loses matches and the red-carding of two players in the first half for exactly the same offence was a shocker.       

I conclude form is temporary as in the case of Mckenzie, but class as demonstrated by Dagg and Smith is permanent. 

 Prove nothing - that story is basically for players who under-perform for years and the excuse for selection of reputation players.  They then flop in the tests they are selected for and then everybody else gets blamed.   Smith has been top class and nobody really thought that McKenzie would at this stage be selected.