All Blacks reveal playmakers for Wallabies clash after injury woes
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Former New Zealand captain Scott Barrett will make his first Test appearance this year after being named on Thursday to start against Australia, while there is also a start for brother Beauden Barrett.
Scott Barrett will pack down at lock at Eden Park for the opening Bledisloe Cup Test on Saturday in an injury-ravaged All Blacks side.
It features six starting changes and two positional switches from the team that lost 28-43 to the world champion Springboks in Baltimore four weeks ago, ceding the “Rugby Greatest Rivalry” series 3-1.
Scott Barrett, 32, has been sidelined for most of the year, firstly through a stipulated rest period and then when he underwent back surgery in May.
New coach Dave Rennie handed Ardie Savea the captaincy in the absence of 89-Test veteran Barrett, who was skipper under predecessor Scott Robertson in 2024 and 2025.
Beauden Barrett, 35, will make his first start of the year in a reshuffled backline, the 145-cap playmaker named at fullback following a midweek injury suffered by fly-half Mo’unga.
Damian McKenzie will shift to flyhalf, having started all seven of New Zealand’s Tests this year at fullback.
Mo’unga is ruled out of the two-match series with a torn calf muscle which also has him in doubt for New Zealand’s four Nations Championship Tests in the United Kingdom in November.
Rennie is dealing with a host of injuries, most notably at flyhalf, where first-choice candidate Ruben Love is out for the remainder of the year with an ankle complaint.
Star forward Savea is also out for the year with a dislocated shoulder, with veteran hooker Codie Taylor named captain for the Australia matches.
The backline features two other changes from the Baltimore Test, with winger Leroy Carter and centre Quinn Tupaea restored in place of Josh Moorby and Anton Lienert-Brown.
Wallace Sititi replaces back-rower Ethan Blackadder while Josh Lord joins Scott Barrett in a new-look lock pairing, in place of Sam Darry and Patrick Tuipulotu.
Another recalled veteran, Shannon Frizell, is on the bench.
The bruising back-rower played his most recent Test at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Winger Fehi Fineanganofo will miss both Bledisloe Cup Tests after failing a concussion test.
Other players from the South African tour who are unavailable are forwards Luke Jacobson and Patrick Tuipulotu, and backs Caleb Clarke, Anton Lienert-Brown and Billy Proctor.
The All Blacks have won their last 11 Tests against the Wallabies and are on a remarkable unbeaten run of 53 matches at Eden Park, dating back to 1994.
New Zealand: 15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Quinn Tupaea, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Leroy Carter, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 Cam Roigard, 8 Wallace Sititi, 7 Peter Lakai, 6 Tupou Vaa’i, 5 Josh Lord, 4 Scott Barrett, 3 Fletcher Newell, 2 Codie Taylor (captain), 1 Ethan De Groot.
Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 George Bower, 18 Pasilio Tosi, 19 Shannon Frizell, 20 Anton Segner, 21 Kyle Preston, 22 Rieko Ioane, 13 Josh Moorby.
Date: Saturday, October 10
Venue: Eden Park, Auckland
Kick-off: 19.10 NZST (17.10 AEDT; 06.10 GMT)
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
Assistant referees: Luke Pearce (RFU); Damian Schneider (UAR)
TMO: Mike Adamson (SRU)
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