{"id":921067,"date":"2026-10-08T21:26:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T21:26:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/921067\/"},"modified":"2026-10-08T21:26:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T21:26:10","slug":"all-blacks-team-v-wallabies-winners-losers-dave-rennie-barretts-carter-blackadder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/921067\/","title":{"rendered":"All Blacks team v Wallabies winners & losers: Dave Rennie, Barretts, Carter, Blackadder"},"content":{"rendered":"

Following the announcement of the All Blacks team that will face Australia<\/a> in the Bledisloe Cup match at Eden Park, here are our winners and losers.<\/p>\n

Head coach Dave Rennie has made several changes to the team that lined up against the Springboks in Baltimore a few weeks ago. Several of those alterations have been enforced through injury, but the squad has been bolstered by the return of experienced forwards for the clash against their trans-Tasman rivals.<\/p>\n

Without further ado, here are our winners and losers.<\/p>\n

Winners<\/p>\n

Scott Barrett<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a testing year for Scott Barrett, who took up a non-playing sabbatical for the Super Rugby Pacific season, with his return delayed after he underwent ankle and Achilles surgery.<\/p>\n

He marked his return in the Taranaki yellow and black, playing 40 minutes in the NPC, which was enough to convince the All Blacks<\/a> coaching team that he was ready to pull on the black jersey again.<\/p>\n

Barrett won\u2019t carry the captaincy tag on Saturday at Eden Park, but that will matter little to him as he earns his 90th Test cap<\/a>. While the 32-year-old will be frustrated by how 2026 has panned out for him so far, assistant coach Jason Ryan predicts that it could extend his career.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has come in sharp and he requested to play for Taranaki yesterday. He wanted to get 40 minutes under his belt. So, he\u2019s genuinely selectable to play Test rugby. I think he\u2019s just got to come in and be himself, you know,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a very lateral thinker of the game. We just need him to play free and really relaxed and be capable of what he\u2019s really good at around his ball carry and his physicality around the forward pack.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, looking forward to seeing that, and I know that he\u2019s worked extremely hard, and I think this injury, as much as it\u2019s a nasty one, it\u2019s potentially given him a little bit of longevity in his career, and he\u2019s looking real sharp.\u201d<\/p>\n

After naming his squad, Rennie<\/a> said that he was pleased with the depth at lock for the All Blacks and there is no doubting Barrett\u2019s world-class pedigree. His return is not only a boost for him but the team. The lineout struggled against the Springboks during Rugby\u2019s Greatest Rivalry series and Barrett\u2019s presence at the set-piece could go a long way in remedying those issues.<\/p>\n

All Blacks team: Dave Rennie makes big fly-half call after Richie Mo\u2019unga injury while former captain returns for Bledisloe Cup opener<\/a><\/p>\n

Leroy Carter<\/p>\n

The All Blacks back-three will be in the spotlight again on Saturday as the wingers struggled under the high ball against the Boks, and that was an area of real strength for the Wallabies<\/a> in Perth.<\/p>\n

Max Jorgensen and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii wreaked havoc in the aerial battle versus South Africa, and Leroy Carter is now being tasked to defuse those Wallabies threats at Eden Park.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a challenging few weeks for Carter in the black jersey; he came off the bench in the first RGR Test and started the next two. However, the Springboks exploited him defensively in the third Test match, which resulted in his dropping for the series finale in Baltimore.<\/p>\n

He gets a shot at redemption in Auckland as he returns to the run-on team, perhaps benefitting from the absence of Fehi Fineanganofo, but he has still managed to usurp Josh Moorby for a starting role.<\/p>\n

Wallabies team: Joseph Suaalii experiment continues as Les Kiss backs \u2018consistency\u2019 against All Blacks<\/a><\/p>\n

Wallace Sititi<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been somewhat of a rollercoaster year for Wallace Sititi, who has been in and out of Rennie\u2019s squad throughout the international season. He was dropped from the matchday 23 after an underwhelming performance against Italy and only returned to the Test team for the latter two meetings with South Africa.<\/p>\n

His cameos off the bench against the Boks have convinced the coaching staff that he deserves a shot in the run-on team again, as he packs down in the number eight jersey in the absence of Ardie Savea.<\/p>\n

Sititi starts alongside Peter Lakai and Tupou Vaa\u2019i, with Ethan Blackadder rather puzzlingly dropped from the squad entirely despite his standout performances during the RGR tour, particularly in Baltimore.<\/p>\n

Anton Segner<\/p>\n

A welcome return for the All Blacks as Anton Segner was in outstanding form before an injury cruelly denied him the opportunity to face the Springboks. He was initially included in the matchday squad for the opening Test match against South Africa but was forced to withdraw and was ruled out for the remainder of the tour.<\/p>\n

The German-born loose forward is held in high regard by the All Blacks coaching team and rightly so; he has impressed with every opportunity he has had in the team, producing a man of the match shift in a tough clash with the Blues and was equally effective during the Nations Championship.<\/p>\n

Beauden Barrett<\/p>\n

The main beneficiary of Richie Mo\u2019unga\u2019s injury in training earlier this week. Beauden Barrett was a go-to selection for ex-All Blacks coaches Sir Steve Hansen, Ian Foster and Scott Robertson but dropped down the pecking order since Rennie has taken charge of the team.<\/p>\n

The veteran playmaker earned his first Test cap of the year against the Springboks in Baltimore, coming off the bench, and now gets his first start under the new head coach.<\/p>\n

Barrett has a knack for producing some of his best performances against the Wallabies, and Rennie will be hoping that he will do so again this weekend.<\/p>\n

Dave Rennie issues Richie Mo\u2019unga update after \u2018hardest\u2019 All Blacks team selection<\/a><\/p>\n

Shannon Frizell<\/p>\n

Three years ago, Shannon Frizell was in the form of his career in the black jersey as he nailed down the number six jersey and helped New Zealand reach the Rugby World Cup Final.<\/p>\n

The bruising back-rower then packed his bags for Japan, putting himself out of contention for the All Blacks and has now returned in time to make his bid for the 2027 World Cup squad.<\/p>\n

At his best, Frizell was a force of nature at the highest level, but his issue has always been around consistency. That 2023 season was the first time that he really strung successive strong performances together, and if he is able to replicate that going forward, he will be a huge asset for the All Blacks.<\/p>\n

Losers<\/p>\n

Richie Mo\u2019unga<\/p>\n

With Ruben Love ruled out for the remainder of the international season, the door was flung wide open for Richie Mo\u2019unga to nail down the number 10 jersey. However, he was denied that opportunity with a calf injury ruling him out of both Test matches against the Wallabies, putting his involvement in the November Nations Championship matches in doubt too.<\/p>\n

Rennie confirmed that Mo\u2019unga was set to feature against the Wallabies after naming his team, saying: \u201cWe named Richie to the squad on Monday, and he got injured on Tuesday, which is disappointing for him and disappointing for the group.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cHe won\u2019t be available next week either, and then we\u2019ll assess; it\u2019s a little tweak in his calf.\u201d<\/p>\n

In his absence, McKenzie gets the nod at fly-half for the first time under Rennie after starting every Test match to date at full-back. While he is a handy replacement, the last time he started in the role was the Super Rugby Pacific final, where he quite frankly had an absolute mare. The pressure will be on him to ensure he does not repeat that in the black jersey.<\/p>\n

Justin Marshall identifies his \u2018main concern\u2019 of All Blacks\u2019 play ahead of Bledisloe Cup<\/a><\/p>\n

Fabian Holland<\/p>\n

Quite simply a victim of Scott Barrett\u2019s return. Fabian Holland was one of the standout forwards throughout Rugby\u2019s Greatest Rivalry series but is overlooked for a second Test match in a row.<\/p>\n

The All Blacks are building strong depth in the second-row and last year\u2019s World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year is paying the price for that and New Zealand\u2019s faltering lineout against the Springboks.<\/p>\n

Rennie\u2019s favouring of naming two back-rowers on the bench in the form of Frizell and Segner has also resulted in Holland\u2019s snubbing.<\/p>\n

Tyrel Lomax<\/p>\n

The All Blacks boss has not been shy to admit when a player has been dropped because of their performances, with Wallace Sititi being the first high-profile example, and Tyrel Lomax is the latest.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, we just want more out of him; he has got a clear message around what we need to see, and he\u2019s worked really hard this week, and I\u2019m sure that we\u2019ll get a response next time he gets an opportunity,\u201d Rennie said, explaining the tighthead prop\u2019s omission.<\/p>\n

At his best, Lomax is one of the leading tighthead props in international rugby, but he hasn\u2019t been at those levels this year, particularly against the Springboks. It certainly hasn\u2019t helped that his Super Rugby season was interrupted by injuries while he also missed the tail-end of last year\u2019s international campaign.<\/p>\n

The All Blacks were outmuscled and battered in the scrums during the RGR Test series with the Springboks and Lomax is paying the price for his role in those failings.<\/p>\n

Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for world-class coverage you can trust.<\/p>\n

Fehi Fineanganofo<\/p>\n

After a truly sensational Super Rugby Pacific season, Fineanganofo hasn\u2019t quite kicked on in the All Blacks jersey as many would have hoped. He made his Test debut off the bench against France, and while he did have strong matches on tour in South Africa, he wasn\u2019t good enough in the coaching staff\u2019s opinion to secure a place in the squad to face the Boks.<\/p>\n

Upon return to New Zealand, he was released to the Bay of Plenty and featured in the clash against North Harbour in order to get some game time, but that\u2019s where injury struck.<\/p>\n

Not only did he fail his subsequent head injury assessment after passing the original in game one \u2013 which results in a mandatory 12-day stand-down period \u2013 he also sustained a hamstring injury. A double whammy for the winger who has negotiated a late arrival at the Newcastle Falcons in order to chase a spot in the All Blacks\u2019 Rugby World Cup squad.<\/p>\n

Ethan Blackadder<\/p>\n

One has to wonder what Ethan Blackadder has to do to get a fair shot and run in the All Blacks jersey after being snubbed yet again. Yes, the 31-year-old\u2019s opportunities have been limited by injuries throughout his career, but he has been fit, firing, and in form in 2026.<\/p>\n

Blackadder was quite simply the best All Blacks player on the park in the final tour match against the Lions, and when he finally got a chance in the series finale versus the Springboks, he again was the pick of the lot.<\/p>\n

With Luke Jacobson and Savea ruled out through injury, the \u2018Saders man would have fancied his chances of featuring against the All Blacks, but instead, Rennie has favoured Sititi, Vaa\u2019i and Lakai.<\/p>\n

Cortez Ratima<\/p>\n

After coming off the bench in each of New Zealand\u2019s three Nations Championship matches in July, Cortez Ratima has yet to be included in another All Blacks Test team. A knee injury denied him the opportunity to serve as Cam Roigard\u2019s back-up, with Kyle Preston seemingly overtaking him in that Chris Whitaker position.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s plainly obvious that Roigard is the All Blacks\u2019 first-choice scrum-half, much like George Gregan was for the Wallabies throughout his career, with Ratima and Preston currently tasked with performing the Whitaker role off the bench.<\/p>\n

READ MORE:\u00a0Dave Rennie won\u2019t be \u2018assessed\u2019 on three Springboks defeats as NZ Rugby chief believes All Blacks are \u2018tracking well\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Following the announcement of the All Blacks team that will face Australia in the Bledisloe Cup match at…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":921068,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[63,228143,1379,43,818,1182,1736,44,41,39,42,40],"class_list":["post-921067","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-australia","tag-dave-rennie","tag-features","tag-headlines","tag-home-page","tag-internationals","tag-new-zealand","tag-news","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/921067","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=921067"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/921067\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/921068"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=921067"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=921067"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=921067"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}