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Damian McKenzie set for All Blacks debut in Rugby Champ

Damian McKenzie is set to make his All Blacks debut after being named in the squad for the Rugby Championship clash against Argentina.

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Chiefs star McKenzie, 21, has been picked in the matchday squad for the first time and should make his maiden international appearance on Saturday.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has made numerous changes for the trip to Buenos Aires as he looks to build depth.

"When it came to selecting this side, our key focus was to select a team that would maintain a high standard of performance and also allow us to grow our player depth and experience in the Test arena," he said.

"We also took into consideration the fact that we have seven Tests under our belts this year and more Tests and a lot of international travel to come.

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"The expectation is that this side will build on the performances we've produced so far this year and play a game we can all be proud of.

"Having said that, this weekend presents a massive challenge for us. Argentina are a very good team and we have a huge amount of respect for them.

"They put us under real pressure at times during the Test in Hamilton and we've worked really hard this week to prepare for what we expect to be coming this weekend."

New Zealand are top of the Rugby Championship table with four wins from as many matches, most recently beating South Africa 41-13.

The All Blacks are unbeaten in 23 Tests against Argentina.

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New Zealand squad in full: 1. Joe Moody, 2. Dane Coles, 3. Owen Franks, 4. Patrick Tuipulotu, 5. Brodie Retallick, 6. Liam Squire, 7. Ardie Savea, 8. Kieran Read, 9.  TJ Perenara, 10. Beauden Barrett, 11. Julian Savea, 12. Ryan Crotty, 13. Anton Lienert-Brown, 14. Israel Dagg, 15. Ben Smith, 16. Codie Taylor, 17. Wyatt Crockett, 18. Ofa Tu'ungafasi, 19. Samuel Whitelock, 20. Elliot Dixon, 21. Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 22. Lima Sopoaga, 23. Damian McKenzie

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