Main events
Team news:
All Blacks:
Flyhalf Richie Mo’unga and winger Fehi Fineanganofo were ruled out at the end of the week. Fineanganofo with delayed concussion symptoms, Mo’unga with a calf tear that will keep him out for a while.
They join Ardie Savea (shoulder), Luke Jacobson (elbow), Anton Lienert-Brown (knee), Billy Proctor (shoulder), Caleb Clarke (shoulder), Ollie Norris (knee) and Patrick Tuipulotu (calf) on the significant injury list.
Damian McKenzie moves from fullback to five-eighth with veteran number 15 Beauden Barrett. Barrett’s brother, Scott, is fresh off a non-game layoff dealing with leg and back injuries.
Wallabies:
The Wallabies make just one mandatory change to the starting XV that looked so good against the Springboks, with Isaac Henry replacing the suspended Hunter Paisami. That means Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii remains on the wing after his impressive performance in the air against South Africa.
With the two-match Bledisloe Cup series out of World Rugby’s international window, there is more change on the bench with Tom Hooper and Taniela Tupou returning to their clubs in Europe. Massimo de Lutiis and Nick Champion de Crespigny hit the pine with Declan Meredith as Kiss return to a 5-3 forward-back split.
Australia XV
15. Tom Wright, 14. Max Jorgensen, 13. Isaac Henry, 12. Len Ikitau, 11. Joseph-Aukuso Question, 10. Ben Donaldson, 9. Ryan Lonergan, 8. Harry Wilson (c), 7. Fraser McReath, 6. William Robs, 4. 5. Salakaya-Loto, 3. Allan 2. Brendon Paenga-Amosa, 1. Angus Bell.
Substitutes: 16. Josh Nasser, 17. Aidan Ross, 18. Massimo De Lutiis, 19. Lachlan Shaw, 20. Nick Champion de Crespini, 21. Tate McDermott, 22. Declan Meredith, 23. Harry Potter.
New Zealand XV
1. Ethan de Groot, 2. Jodie Taylor (c), 3. Fletcher Newell, 4. Scott Barrett, 5. Josh Lord, 6. Tupou Vaa’i, 7. Peter Lakai, 8. Wallace Sititi, 9. Cam Roigard, 10. Damian McKenzie, 12. Jo. Carrdie, Jo1.11. 13. Quinn Tupaea, 14. Will Jordan, 15. Boden Barrett.
Substitutes: 16. Asafo Aumua, 17. George Bauer, 18. Pasilio Tosi, 19. Shannon Frizell, 20. Kyle Preston, 21. Rieko Ioan, 22. Josh Murby.
Jack Snape
Eden Park v All Blacks. This is perhaps the biggest challenge in rugby union. The hosts were last beaten in 1994, before the pride of New Zealand began their unbeaten run at Auckland’s famous ground. It now stands at 53 Tests.
Australia’s record there is ugly. Just four wins in almost 100 years, the last in 1986, the same year Wallabies coach Les Kiss made his New South Wales Rugby League debut for the North Sydney Bears.
Preamble
Jonathan Howcroft
Hello everyone and welcome to live coverage of New Zealand vs Australia in the opening match of the 2026 Bledisloe Cup. Kick-off at Auckland’s Eden Park is scheduled for 7.10pm local time (5.10pm AEDT).
Fans of the sporting cliché: get ready, because the Wallabies have reached “whisper quietly” status. It’s true, whisper it quietly, but Australia’s men’s rugby team could be good again. So much so that they have a real chance to compete in Eden Park, the most unfortunate of hunting grounds, and can now look to next year’s World Cup with excitement rather than dread.
For the first time since 2017, the men in gold are enjoying a six-match unbeaten run. Granted, a third of those fixtures have been against Japan – and lowly Italy have put up little resistance – but the most recent matches have featured two Test tours to Argentina and a home win over South Africa.
This trip against the Springboks offered particular cause for optimism. Yes, it wasn’t Rassie Erasmus’ first XV and yes, a chaotic final 15 minutes should probably have ended in an away win, but within an hour the Wallabies had played the world champions off the park and deservedly led 42-17.
Following the foundation laid by Joe Schmidt, Les Kiss is enjoying a rare honeymoon period in the coach box. Schmidt has done the donkey work of getting as many players up to Test level as possible, turning the contenders into what is now a very talented core squad, most of whom have gained decent international experience. Apart from the apparent lack of quality in the five-eighth, there is no reason to doubt that this up-and-coming side cannot continue their upward trajectory.
But if any venue in international sport is going to make an ambitious start, it’s Eden Park. The All Blacks have not lost at home since 1994, 53 Tests ago. The Wallabies haven’t popped champagne glasses since 1986.
However, this is a damaged New Zealand side, one still defining its identity under new coach Dave Rennie and coming off the back of a four-Test series against the Springboks, including four midweek tour matches in South Africa.
When the weekly World Rugby rankings are released on August 24, today’s matchup would be pitted against the planet’s number eight underdogs. At the time, Australia were closer in the standings to the United States than their rivals across the Tasman. Now it’s second and sixth, with the Wallabies a rounding error ahead of England in fifth and within touching distance of Ireland in third.
A positive result for the visitors today would return rugby to one worthy of leadership at the back and fire the starting pistol in a mouth-watering World Cup on home soil. If they do, we will no longer speak in hushed whispers.
I’ll be back with final team lists and more shortly. Please send me your emails and check back with me throughout the evening. The address is jonathan.howcroft.freelance@theguardian.com.