AUCKLAND — Damian McKenzie has retained the All Blacks fly-half shirt for the second Bledisloe Cup clash against the Wallabies as head coach Dave Rennie keeps faith with the core of the side that retained the trophy with a big win in Auckland. Rennie has made only two alterations to the starting XV, with Fabian Holland and George Bower coming in, while Josh Moorby joins the backline in an injury-enforced switch. The biggest rotation comes among the replacements, where only Pasilio Tosi, Shannon Frizell and Rieko Ioane keep their places from last weekend, leaving five bench players with a chance to press for Nations Championship involvement.
Holland returns after a surprising omission from the past two matches against the Springboks and Wallabies, with Rennie having wanted a slight change in his approach before restoring him. Bower starts at loosehead as Ethan de Groot is rested, a clear show of faith in the 34-year-old Crusaders prop whose contributions in 2026 have impressed despite struggling in the third Test against the Springboks before responding well in Bledisloe I. De Groot’s absence opens a spot in the 23 for Xavier Numia, who remains behind Bower in the pecking order despite being viewed as a potential vital cog in 2027 and must now prove his worth at Test level. On the bench, Du’Plessis Kirifi comes straight into the 23 after being omitted for the entirety of the 2026 international season so far, while Timoci Tavatavanawai is set for his first Test matchday after being part of the wider group for most of the campaign.
Set-piece stability remains a focus after an uncertain start in the lineout last weekend that improved as the match wore on, suggesting some of the issues from the Springboks series have been rectified. The scrum was also more solid in Auckland and gave New Zealand a better platform to attack from, though the Wallabies are not necessarily the benchmark to judge that progress against. Rennie’s side still want dominance in both facets, particularly at scrum time, after parity at Eden Park provided welcome relief following a traumatic experience in South Africa. Depth at prop is being tested, with Tamaiti Williams injured and De Groot and Tyrel Lomax suffering a dip in form, leaving the All Blacks light in the front row. Numia offers talent and Tosi brings size and explosiveness, but neither has nailed down a regular spot and both are still adapting to the rigours of Test rugby, with Tosi taking a step backwards in recent months after a promising 2025 and outstanding 2026 Super Rugby Pacific campaign.
McKenzie’s retention at 10 follows what was judged the best fly-half performance of any All Blacks playmaker last weekend. There had been temptation to bring Josh Jacomb onto the bench given injuries to Richie Mo’unga and Ruben Love have significantly reduced options at pivot, but Rennie has put his full faith in the 31-year-old Chiefs star. While Love has been backed by the head coach and Mo’unga was the obvious next in line before his calf issue, neither has truly convinced in the 10 jersey in 2026. Rennie likes McKenzie at full-back, but after a mixed seven Tests at 15 he thrived when moved last Saturday, and a repeat display this weekend could leave the head coach with no other option than to keep him at fly-half irrespective of Mo’unga’s recovery.
Aerial strength will also be examined after the All Blacks were exposed under the high ball for a third year in a row. They were not tested in the Nations Championship before the Springboks targeted them during the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, where the tourists crumbled and raised concerns ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup. Fears grew further when the Wallabies dominated the Springboks in that area two weeks before the Eden Park Test, yet New Zealand were magnificent under the high ball in Auckland as Jordie Barrett, Leroy Carter and Will Jordan excelled. Consistency away from home is now the challenge, with the crowd baying for blood on Wallabies soil. The selection comes as the Wallabies hand Meredith the No.10 shirt amid their fly-half crisis for the return Bledisloe Cup fixture.