All Blacks v Wallabies
When: August 5, 2:35pm
Where: Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin (capacity 30,748)
Referee: Karl Dickson (England)
Assistant referees: Wayne Barnes, Christophe Ridley (England)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Teams:
All Blacks: 1-Tamaiti Williams, 2-Samisoni Taukei'aho, 3-Nepo Laulala, 4-Brodie Retallick, 5-Sam Whitelock, 6-Samipeni Finau, 7-Sam Cane (c), 8-Ardie Savea, 9-Finlay Christie, 10-Damian McKenzie, 11-Leicester Fainga'anuku, 12-Anton Lienert-Brown, 13-Braydon Ennor, 14-Shaun Stevenson, 15-Will Jordan
Reserves: 16-Dane Coles, 17-Ofa Tuungafasi, 18-Fletcher Newell, 19-Tupou Vaa'i, 20-Luke Jacobson, 21-Aaron Smith, 22-Richie Mo'unga, 23-Dallas McLeod.
Wallabies: 1-Angus Bell, 2-David Porecki, 3-Pone Fa'amausili, 4-Nick Frost, 5-Richie Arnold, 6-Tom Hooper, 7-Fraser McReight, 8-Rob Valetini, 9-Tate McDermott (c), 10-Carter Gordon, 11-Marika Koroibete, 12-Samu Kerevi, 13-Jordan Petaia, 14-Mark Nawaqanitawase, 15-Andrew Kellaway
Reserves: 16-Jordan Uelese, 17-James Slipper, 18-Zane Nonggorr, 19-Will Skelton, 20-Rob Leota, 21-Nic White, 22-Quade Cooper, 23-Izaia Perese.
The All Blacks and Australia will put out teams with some inexperience for Saturday's World Cup warm-up test in Dunedin, but coaches Ian Foster and Eddie Jones have very different reasons for their selections.
The All Blacks wrapped up another Rugby Championship title and extended their hold on the Bledisloe Cup for another year with a 38-7 win over the Wallabies in Melbourne last week.
Wins in all three tests against Argentina, South Africa and Australia this season have given Foster the freedom to throw in a few wild cards and see how they go before he names his World Cup squad on Monday.
By contrast, the Wallabies have lost all three of their tests this year and Jones is still trying to find the formula that will enable Australia to take advantage of their soft World Cup draw and make a deep run in the tournament.
Foster will blood Super Rugby Pacific standouts Shaun Stevenson and Samipeni Finau under the roof at Dunedin's indoor stadium, while centre Dallas McLeod could make his first test appearance off the bench.
None of three Barrett brothers - Beauden, Scott or Jordie - will start in what is, with notable exceptions such as Ardie Savea, a second-string All Blacks team.
Outside back Stevenson was not even in Foster's squad for the Rugby Championship, coming in as injury cover for Mark Telea and being asked to stick around after the winger recovered.
While loose forward Sam Cane will return from injury to captain the All Blacks, Jones has named his third skipper in as many matches.
The former England coach has plumped for scrumhalf Tate McDermott to lead an almost unchanged starting team that has only 277 test caps between them - a tally surpassed by All Blacks Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock and Aaron Smith combined.
Compared with last year, when his job was on the line after a home series loss to Ireland and a home defeat at the hands of Argentina, Foster struck a relaxed demeanour during his team announcement.
The same could not be said of Jones, who rounded on a journalist over criticism of his selection of the inexperienced Carter Gordon as his first-five for a second consecutive test.
Australia fought hard last week but the almost inevitable yellow cards and their inability to convert possession into points suggest the Wallabies will head to France with their losing streak against the All Blacks extended to seven tests.
Jones was, though, the last Australia coach to beat the All Blacks in New Zealand when his 2001 Wallabies won the final test played at Dunedin's old Carisbrook ground.
TAB odds:
All Blacks $1.10, Wallabies $6, draw $26
Weather forecast:
Kickoff temperature expected to be about 10 degrees Celsius.
Overall record:
Played 176; All Blacks 123 wins, Australia 45 wins, 8 drawn
Last five games:
2023 Australia 7-38 New Zealand Melbourne
2022 New Zealand 40-14 Australia Auckland
2022 Australia 37-39 New Zealand Melbourne
2021 Australia 21-38 New Zealand Perth
2021 New Zealand 57-22 Australia Auckland
Reuters/Newshub.
Join Newshub at 2:30pm for live updates of the All Blacks v Australia Bledisloe Cup clash
