Brothers Scott and Beauden Barrett have been named to start for the All Blacks in the Bledisloe Cup Test against Australia at Eden Park on Saturday. Scott Barrett will pack down at lock alongside Josh Lord, marking his first Test appearance of the year after being sidelined for most of 2026 due to a stipulated rest period and back surgery in May. His inclusion is a significant boost to the All Blacks, who are seeking to extend their 11-match winning streak against the Wallabies.
Beauden Barrett will start at fullback, prompting Damian McKenzie to shift to fly-half after Richie Mo'unga sustained a series-ending calf injury. Mo'unga's injury also puts him in doubt for New Zealand's four Nations Championship Tests in the United Kingdom in November. The backline features two other changes from the previous Test, with winger Leroy Carter and centre Quinn Tupaea restored in place of Josh Moorby and Anton Lienert-Brown.
The All Blacks have made six starting changes and two positional shifts from the team that lost 43-28 to the world champion Springboks in Baltimore four weeks ago. Head coach Dave Rennie handed Codie Taylor the captaincy in the absence of regular skipper Ardie Savea, who is ruled out for the remainder of the year due to a dislocated shoulder. Taylor will lead the team in the absence of 89-Test veteran Savea, who was skipper under predecessor Scott Robertson in 2024 and 2025.
The team also welcomes back veteran Shannon Frizell, who is on the bench. The bruising back-rower played his most recent Test at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Other players from the South African tour who are unavailable include forwards Luke Jacobson and Patrick Tuipulotu, and backs Caleb Clarke, Anton Lienert-Brown and Billy Proctor. Winger Fehi Fineanganofo will miss both Bledisloe Cup Tests after failing a concussion test.
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's squad for the match includes a new-look lock pairing of Josh Lord and Scott Barrett, as well as Wallace Sititi replacing back-rower Ethan Blackadder. The team will be led by captain Codie Taylor, with Fletcher Newell, Tupou Vaa'i, and Ethan De Groot in the front row.
The All Blacks' backline for the match includes Beauden Barrett at fullback, Will Jordan, Quinn Tupaea, Jordie Barrett, and Leroy Carter in the backline. Damian McKenzie will start at fly-half, with Cam Roigard at scrum-half. The team's replacements include Asafo Aumua, George Bower, Pasilio Tosi, Shannon Frizell, Anton Segner, Kyle Preston, Rieko Ioane, and Josh Moorby.
The Bledisloe Cup Test against Australia is a crucial match for the All Blacks, who are seeking to maintain their dominance over the Wallabies. With a number of players returning from injury and a new-look team, the match is expected to be a challenging one for both teams. The All Blacks will be looking to build on their winning streak and extend their unbeaten run at Eden Park.
Key points
- Scott Barrett will make his first Test appearance of the year after being sidelined for most of 2026 due to injury.
- The All Blacks have made six starting changes and two positional shifts from the team that lost to the Springboks in Baltimore.
- The team will be led by captain Codie Taylor in the absence of regular skipper Ardie Savea.
