After a convincing victory in their previous encounter, the All Blacks face Australia on Saturday for the second time this week in the historic Bledisloe Cup. The two Southern Hemisphere sides clash at the Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, setting the stage for Eddie Jones' men to reclaim some pride as they look to create a major upset.
The All Blacks have released a much-changed lineup, with just Brodie Retallick, Ardie Savea, and Will Jordan retaining their places in the starting lineup.
Jordan has noticeably made his way to fullback, a position he plays regularly for club side, Crusaders. Joining him in the electric backline is the dynamic playmaker Damien McKenzie who will be looking to unleash space for the wingers Leicester Fainga'anuku and the debutant Shaun Stevenson, whilst Anton Lienert-Brown and Braydon Ennor will look to create damage in the midfield.
An intimidating pack sees the return of world-class lock combination Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock as they look to command the lineout and provide some brutal force in the centre of the scrum.
A back row consisting of captain Sam Cane, and the experienced Ardie Savea will support Samipeni Finau who will, like Stevenson, make his first appearance for the All Blacks. Tamaiti Williams Nepo Laulala provide the brute strength at prop, whilst scrum-half Finlay Christie will feed the ball into Samisoni Taukeiaho who takes the starting birth at hooker.
The visitors, Australia, are eager to bounce back from their heavy defeat in the previous match in Melbourne. The Wallabies' lineup showcases changes as they look to regroup and come back stronger. Pone Fa'amausili replaces the injured Alan Alaalatoa in the front row, whilst Richie Arnold makes his way into the second row in replacement of Will Skelton.
Young flanker Tom Hooper makes his way back to his preferred number 6 position, whilst Fraser Mcreight comes in at 7. The backline remains unchanged from their 7-38 loss last weekend, with experienced halfback pairing Nic White and Quade Cooper ready to come off the bench.
Despite their recent loss, Eddie Jones' Wallabies will be eager to showcase their potential and put up a tough fight against a rejuvenated All Blacks. Expect them to play with renewed intensity, aiming to exploit any weaknesses they've identified from the previous game.
The All Blacks, however, will enter the match as heavy favorites, fueled by their dominant performance last week. With a wealth of experience and an abundance of game-changers in their lineup, they will be looking to maintain their momentum and secure another decisive victory heading into this year's World Cup.
New Zealand
15 Jordan
14 Stevenson
13 Ennor
12 Lienert-Brown
11 Fainga'anuku
10 McKenzie
9 Christie
1 Williams
2 Taukeiaho
3 Laulala
4 Retallick
5 Whitelock
6 Finau
7 Cane
8 Savea
Substitutes
16 Coles
17 Tu'ungafasi
18 Newell
19 Vaai
20 Jacobson
21 A Smith
22 Mo'unga
23 McLeod
Australia
15 Kellaway
14 Nawaqanitawase
13 Petaia
12 Kerevi
11 Koroibete
10 Gordon
9 McDermott
1 Bell
2 Porecki
3 Fa'amausili
4 Frost
5 Arnold
6 Hooper
7 McReight
8 Valetini
Substitutes
16 Uelese
17 Slipper
18 Nonggorr
19 Skelton
20 Leota
21 White
22 Cooper
23 Perese
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