Here we go again. The Wallabies have another chance to beat the All Blacks at Eden Park on Saturday, and they are approaching the Test with plenty of confidence under new coach Les Kiss.
And with good reason. An unbeaten series in Argentina and a victory over the Springboks are notable achievements. But how do the two teams match up on Saturday? Here’s my player ratings.
Australia
15. Tom Wright: It is taking time for Wright to find his best form after an ACL injury, but it is slowly returning. At his best he’s world-class. 7/10
14. Max Jorgensen: The brilliant 22-year-old is in great form and has a complete game. His aerial ability came to the fore against the Springboks. 9
13. Isaac Henry: The Reds midfielder has made a promising start to his Test career and has the tools to kick on. This will be his biggest test. 7
12. Len Ikitau: Win, lose or draw, Ikitau is always one of the Wallabies’ best. Mouthwatering duel with Jordie Barrett. 9
11. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii: Advantage Wallabies here. Suaalii is a 7/10 as a midfielder but earns an extra point as a winger after his excellent display against the Springboks. 8
10. Ben Donaldson: Showed a more assertive side to his game against South Africa, but will need to continue in that direction. 7
9. Ryan Lonergan: His Super Rugby performances have translated nicely into the Test arena and the Brumbies No.9 reads the game superbly. 8
8. Harry Wilson (c): Hard-working captain will post massive tackle and carry stats again, but he’ll also have to get on the right side of referee Andrew Brace. 8
7. Fraser McReight: The standout flanker might sniff an opportunity at the breakdown with All Blacks captain Ardie Savea injured. A brilliant all-round player. 8
6. Rob Valetini: Again, advantage to Australia. Valetini is a powerhouse in a jersey where the All Blacks are still looking for answers. World-class. 9
5. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto: The huge second-rower muscled up well against the Springboks and has a crucial role to play against the All Blacks. 7
4. Jeremy Williams: Lineout technician will be put under pressure on Wallabies ball, but has developed into a classy operator. 7
3. Allan Alaalatoa: Tighthead prop’s form revival over the past year has been one of the untold stories of Australian rugby. 8
2. Brandon Paenga-Amosa: One of the success stories for the Wallabies this year – he Force have done a great job with the hooker. A torrid battle up front awaits, but Wallabies should hold their own. 7
1. Angus Bell: We haven’t quite seen the best of Bell with ball in hand this year, but Eden Park might be the place to flick the switch. 7
Reserves: Josh Nasser 7, Aidan Ross 6, Massimo de Lutiis 6, Lachlan Shaw 6, Nick Champion de Crespigny 6, Tate McDermott 7, Declan Meredith 6, Harry Potter 7. This is the big area of concern for the Wallabies. Can the bench provide the impact needed without Taniela Tupou and Tom Hooper?
TOTAL: 167
New Zealand
15. Beauden Barrett: The 35-year-old has lost some speed but still reads the game well and has a history of hurting the Wallabies.
14. Will Jordan: A try-scoring freak for the All Blacks, even if he does have the occasional struggle under the high ball. 9
3. Quinn Tupaea: One of the best No.12s in Super Rugby, the hard-running Chief has made a seamless switch to the No.13 jersey. 8
12. Jordie Barrett: The tall Hurricanes No.12 looms as arguably the Wallabies’ greatest enemy on Saturday. A great all-round player. 9
11. Leroy Carter: A high workrate winger but prone to the odd missed tackle and presents a target in the air due to his size. 7
0. Damian McKenzie: When he’s good, he’s very good. But his off nights can put his own team under pressure and he hasn’t started in the All Blacks No.10 jersey this year. 7
9. Cam Roigard: Another major danger man for the Wallabies with his running game. Likely to play big minutes. 9
8. Wallace Sititi: The 2024 World Rugby breakthrough player of the year hasn’t yet pushed on from that award and was something of a surprise selection ahead of Peter Lakai. 7
7. Peter Lakai: Hard to mark because he’s an outstanding player but is he better suited to the No.8 jersey? Loses a point over that question mark. 7
. Tupou Vaa’i: He’s on record as saying he prefers the second row, although he still has the athleticism to run down the wide channels. 7
5. Josh Lord: The athletic Chief was surprisingly favoured over Fabian Holland, which shows how highly he is rated. 7
4. Scott Barrett: World class at his peak, but the former captain has only played 90 minutes of provincial rugby this year so won’t be at his best. 7
3. Fletcher Newell: The All Blacks scrum was put through the wringer by the Springboks, but it improved in the fourth Test in Baltimore when Newell started. 8
2. Codie Taylor (c): Very much in the veteran class and the suspicion is that he starts due to his leadership qualities. 7
1. Ethan de Groot: Has built consistency and could be a problem for the Wallabies at scrum time. 8
Reserves: Asafo Aumua 8, George Bower 7, Pasilio Tosi 6, Shannon Frizell 7, Anton Segner 8, Kyle Preston 6, Rieko Ioane 7, Josh Moorby 7. Arguably the area of strength for the All Blacks. Aumua, Frizell and Segner could have big roles.
TOTAL: 170
Paul Cully is a rugby columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.From our partners
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
