McKenzie starts at flyhalf for first Bledisloe test after Mo’unga injury
Sep 12, 2026; Baltimore, MD, USA; New Zealand All Blacks fullback Damian McKenzie (15) runs the ball during the first half of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry: South Africa Springboks v New Zealand All Blacks at M&T Bank Stadium. Brent Skeen-Imagn Images/File Photo
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Oct 8 : Damian McKenzie will start at flyhalf for the All Blacks against the Wallabies in the first Bledisloe Cup test at Eden Park on Saturday after Richie Mo’unga was ruled out by an injury suffered in training.
• Coach Dave Rennie’s preferred starter Ruben Love has been sidelined by an ankle injury so Mo’unga had been expected to start until he suffered a calf injury on Tuesday.
• Former captain Scott Barrett returns to the team for the first time since last November, starting in the second row with Josh Lord.
• Tupou Vaa’i, Wallace Sititi and Peter Lakai make up a new-look back row in the absence through injury of Luke Jacobson and Ardie Savea, who has been ruled out for the rest of the year.
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• Quinn Tupaea returns from injury to join Jordie Barrett in the centres. Leroy Carter and Will Jordan will play on the wings with Beauden Barrett starting at fullback.
• Shannon Frizell returns to the team for the first time since the 2023 World Cup final after a spell in Japan. He will provide back row cover from the bench with Anton Segner.
• New Zealand have held the Bledisloe Cup since 2003 and have not lost a test to Australia at Auckland’s Eden Park since 1986. The second test in this year’s series is in Sydney on October 17.
• “The Bledisloe Cup means a huge amount to this group. There’s a lot of history and pride tied up in it, and every test against the Wallabies carries real weight for us,” said Rennie, who previously coached Australia.
• “We have huge respect for this Australian side and the way they have been playing. We know we’ll need to be at our best.”
• 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, 23-Josh Moorby.
Source: Reuters
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