All Blacks team: Five takeaways as Damian McKenzie could leave Dave Rennie with ‘no other option’ with repeat Bledisloe display
All Blacks playmaker Damian McKenzie and head coach Dave Rennie.
Following the announcement of the All Blacks team for their Bledisloe Cup clash against the Wallabies, here are our five takeaways from Dave Rennie’s selections.
Continuity
After a big win which retained the Bledisloe Cup, it is not a surprise that Rennie has opted to keep the core of the team that produced such an impressive performance. While there is the odd alteration, which includes starts for Fabian Holland and George Bower, none of the changes seem specifically aimed at improving a certain part of their game or changing the plan.
There is one further switch with Josh Moorby coming into the backline but that is injury-enforced. In fact, the biggest rotation comes among the replacements with just three players retaining their spots from last weekend in the form of Pasilio Tosi, Shannon Frizell and Rieko Ioane. It therefore presents a big opportunity for the other five, who will be looking to lay down a marker ahead of the Nations Championship.
Big day for certain individuals
Holland has been a surprising omission from the past two matches but Rennie’s comments were instructive, with the head coach wanting a slight change in his approach. That probably explains his absence against the Springboks and Wallabies, but he now gets an opportunity to put into practice what his boss wants.
Another interesting inclusion is Bower at loosehead with Ethan de Groot rested for the second Bledisloe Cup clash. Rennie evidently rates the 34-year-old and his contributions under the new head coach have been impressive in 2026 so far. Despite struggling in the third Test against the Springboks, the Crusaders prop returned for Bledisloe I and impressed.
De Groot’s omission also means there is a place for Xavier Numia in the 23. He is one of five bench players looking to stamp their mark on the game as they look for more time on the field at the end of the season. Numia is a player who could well be a vital cog in 2027 so his position behind Bower in the pecking order has been surprising, but he ultimately needs to prove his worth to this All Blacks side, starting with the Wallabies clash this weekend.
As for the other big selections on the bench, most intrigue centres around Du’Plessis Kirifi and Timoci Tavatavanawai. The former only came into the wider squad recently after being omitted for the entirety of the 2026 international season so far, but he comes straight into the 23. Tavatavanawai has been more involved having been part of the group for most of the campaign, but he has yet to make it to a Test matchday until this weekend.
Solving the set-piece
After an uncertain start in the lineout last weekend, it did improve as the game went on, suggesting that they have rectified some of the issues from the Springboks series. Equally, the scrum was more solid, giving them a much better platform to attack from, but it must be remembered that the Wallabies are not necessarily the team you should be basing the success of your set-piece against.
The All Blacks will want to be dominant in both facets but particularly in the scrum, so while the parity they gained in Auckland would have been a welcome relief after the traumatic experience in South Africa, New Zealand still need to be far better. It wasn’t long ago that they looked well set at prop but, with Tamaiti Williams injured and De Groot and Tyrel Lomax suffering a dip in form, they are currently rather light in the front-row.
Numia has plenty of talent while Tosi certainly has the size and explosiveness, but neither have nailed down their spots in the 23 and are ultimately still getting used to the rigours of Test rugby. Tosi, after a promising 2025 and outstanding 2026 Super Rugby Pacific campaign, has taken a step backwards over the past few months.
Eyes on Damian McKenzie again
After producing the best fly-half performance of any All Blacks playmaker last weekend, it is no surprise to see McKenzie retain his place at 10. There might have been a temptation to bring Josh Jacomb onto the bench given that the injuries to Richie Mo’unga and Ruben Love have significantly reduced their options in that position, but Rennie has put his full faith in the 31-year-old.
The challenge for the Chiefs star will be to back up his display in Auckland but, if he can repeat that effort, then the All Blacks could well have found their long-term fly-half option. While Love has been backed by the head coach and Mo’unga was the obvious next in line when he got injured, in truth neither has truly convinced in that 10 jersey in 2026.
New Zealand’s head coach likes him in that full-back role but, after a mixed seven Tests at 15, McKenzie thrived after being moved last Saturday. If he repeats that display then Rennie may have no other option than to keep him in the pivot slot, irrespective of whether Mo’unga recovers from his calf issue.
Build on high ball success
For the third year in a row, the All Blacks have been exposed in the air. After not being tested in the Nations Championship, the Springboks targeted their arch-rivals during Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series and the tourists ultimately crumbled, leading to concerns that it would remain a weakness looking ahead to the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
When they then saw the Wallabies dominate the Springboks in that area two weeks prior to the Eden Park Test, there were fears that New Zealand would once again have problems. However, they were magnificent under the high ball in Auckland as Jordie Barrett, Leroy Carter and Will Jordan excelled.
The next step is to find some consistency and it will no doubt be tougher this time around away from home. It is one thing to succeed when you have home comforts but another thing entirely to repeat it when the crowd is baying for blood.