McKenzie starts at 10 for Bledisloe opener after Mo'unga is ruled out with calf injury
Damian McKenzie will start at first five-eighth against the Wallabies at Eden Park on Saturday. Richie Mo'unga was ruled out with a calf injury on Thursday morning.
1News reported that Mo'unga has been ruled out of the upcoming Wallabies Tests. Ruben Love was already out with an ankle injury, so Dave Rennie has now lost both of his first-choice 10s. Rennie said it took three selection meetings with his coaching staff to settle the 23, 1News reported. McKenzie starts there for the first time this season. It is only the 11th time in his 81-Test career that he has been picked in the No 10 jersey.
Wing Fehi Fineanganofo (concussion/hamstring) was also ruled out on Thursday morning.
Josh Jacomb, the only other specialist first five in the squad, is not in the matchday 23, so his Test debut will have to wait. That leaves Beauden Barrett to cover No 10 from fullback. Many had tipped Barrett to take over as playmaker himself, the ODT reported. Instead he stays at the back for his 146th Test. It will be his 150th match for the All Blacks when non-Test games are counted.
That makes it a gamble. If McKenzie gets hurt or the attack stalls, Rennie can't bring a specialist 10 off the bench. His only option is to move Barrett forward and reshuffle the back three.
The bench is Asafo Aumua, George Bower, Pasilio Tosi, Shannon Frizell, Anton Segner, Kyle Preston, Rieko Ioane and Josh Moorby.
Scott Barrett returns at lock alongside Josh Lord. It is his first start since November 2025, and he has played just over 90 minutes since returning for Taranaki in the NPC. The 32-year-old has been out with a back injury for most of the year after taking a non-playing sabbatical during Super Rugby Pacific, the Herald reported. Those minutes were enough for Rennie to start him ahead of Fabian Holland, who misses the 23 altogether. The ODT called Holland's absence unexpected. This will also be Barrett's first Test since he lost the captaincy after Scott Robertson was sacked.
Codie Taylor, on 112 caps, captains the side.
Ardie Savea (shoulder) and Luke Jacobson (elbow) are both out. Peter Lakai and Wallace Sititi complete the loose forward trio, with Tupou Vaa'i continuing at No 6.
Frizell could play his first Test since the 2023 Rugby World Cup final loss to South Africa. He joined Mo'unga at Japanese club Toshiba Brave Lupus. He came back to New Zealand this year to chase a spot at next year's World Cup in Australia.
In midfield, Quinn Tupaea has been passed fit after the knee injury he picked up in South Africa. He starts at centre alongside Jordie Barrett, with Ioane covering midfield and wing from the bench. The wider injury list also includes Patrick Tuipulotu (calf), Anton Lienert-Brown (knee), Billy Proctor (shoulder), Caleb Clarke (shoulder) and Ollie Norris (knee).
The All Blacks have won the last 11 Tests between the sides, and Australia's most recent win came in 2020. The teams have met 181 times: New Zealand have won 128, Australia 45, and eight were drawn. New Zealand have held the Bledisloe Cup since 2003. Eden Park has hosted 34 meetings, and Australia have won four of them. Their last win there was 22-9 on 6 September 1986.
"We've been on the road for the last eight games, so the boys are rapt to be home and really looking forward to running out at Eden Park one last time this year," Rennie said in the official release.
Kick-off is 7.10pm NZT, live on Sky Sport.