Beauden Barrett to start at fly-half against Australia

Editor

All Blacks selector Grant Fox has confirmed that two-time World Player of the Year Beauden Barrett will wear the fly-half jersey against Australia.

Richie Mo’unga has put Barrett’s position under threat following a fine Super Rugby campaign for the Crusaders, but Fox says that the 24-year-old will have to wait for his chance.

“Beauden is the established 10 who has done nothing wrong in an All Blacks jersey, and we have done pretty well in the last little while with him steering the ship around,” he told RadioLIVE.

“Richie will get his opportunity – the only way for him to get the experience that Beauden has is to be given a run at some stage.”

Meanwhile, backs Sonny Bill Williams and Nehe Milner-Skudder have remained in New Zealand after the All Blacks squad was trimmed to 32.

Williams is unavailable with a shoulder injury while Milner-Skudder was seen as an unlikely starter for the first game of the 2018 Rugby Championship.

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