Damian McKenzie has been benched for the upcoming Bledisloe II match against the Wallabies, following a performance in Bledisloe I that drew criticism. All Blacks coach Scott Robertson has opted to start Beauden Barrett as first five-eighth, marking a significant change to the starting lineup for the match at Sky Stadium on Saturday night.
In the backline, Anton Lienert-Brown has been brought in to replace the injured Jordie Barrett at second-five. Will Jordan retains his position at fullback after stepping in for Beauden Barrett, who was sidelined due to illness last weekend.
TJ Perenara returns to the halfback position, taking over from Cortez Ratima, while Sevu Reece remains on the right wing and David Havili is back in the matchday squad.
Robertson is expected to explain the decision on McKenzie during his media briefing later today. Despite being one of only two players to start every test this year, McKenzie’s performance was under scrutiny after the narrow victory over the Wallabies in Sydney. His omission from this match may reflect the critical feedback from that game. Harry Plummer has also exited the squad after minimal play last week.
Anton Lienert-Brown’s selection is seen as a logical choice given his consistent performances, while all eyes will be on Beauden Barrett, who last started in the number 10 jersey two years ago against Scotland.
Additionally, Sam Cane will make his 100th test appearance as part of an unchanged forward pack from last weekend.
The All Blacks are hoping to break a losing streak at Sky Stadium, a venue where they have not clinched a test victory since 2018.
The starting lineup includes:
1. Ethan de Groot
2. Codie Taylor
3. Tyrel Lomax
4. Scott Barrett (c)
5. Tupou Vaa’i
6. Wallace Sititi
7. Sam Cane
8. Ardie Savea
9. TJ Perenara
10. Beauden Barrett
11. Caleb Clarke
12. Anton Lienert-Brown
13. Rieko Ioane
14. Sevu Reece
15. Will Jordan
The bench features:
16. Asafo Aumua
17. Tamaiti Williams
18. Pasilio Tosi
19. Patrick Tuipulotu
20. Luke Jacobson
21. Cortez Ratima
22. David Havili
23. David Havili