Shot clock introduced after All Blacks star's blunder

This article was originally published on Stuff and is reproduced with permission

New Zealand Rugby has made a major change to avoid a repeat of what could have been a costly blunder during the All Blacks' 16-15 win over England in Dunedin.

For the second Test at Eden Park on Saturday, a shot clock will be shown on the stadium big screen so goal kickers and fans can see how much time is left before a kick must be taken.

All Blacks coach Scott Robertson admitted he was breathing a sigh of relief after his first win in charge but surely nobody was feeling those emotions more than his team's kicker, Damian McKenzie.

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His 79th minute blunder, where he accidentally let the shot clock run down before he attempted a penalty, left the door ajar for England – who ultimately couldn't capitalise on McKenzie's error.

Players have 60 seconds to take a penalty once they signal their intent to kick, under law changes introduced at the start of 2023.

"NZR 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 national body said in a statement.

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"This will also be in place for all home Test matches in 2024."

After the match, McKenzie said a shot clock at Forsyth Barr Stadium could have saved him from embarrassment and frustration.

However, he took responsibility for the clanger.

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"I'm not pointing the finger at anyone, it's completely on my shoulders,'' McKenzie said.

"I have got to sort that out around my process, and speed things up, and knowing that once the penalty is blown I have got 60 seconds to kick the kick."

Previously, the time remaining on the shot clock was communicated by the referee.

"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," NZR said.