Fifty at Eden Park, then eight changes: the All Blacks' week ends in Sydney

A week ago the All Blacks were a side with three straight losses to the Springboks to think about. On Saturday 10 October at Eden Park they put 50 points on the Wallabies, kept the Bledisloe Cup for a 24th year, and this Saturday in Sydney they try to do it again with eight changes to the match-day 23.

Seven tries at the fortress

The scoreline, All Blacks 50 Wallabies 19, hides how close it was at the break. Australia, unbeaten under new coach Les Kiss, scored through Tom Wright, Harry Wilson and Josh Nasser and trailed only 17-14 at half-time. The second half was all black: tries to Peter Lakai, Tupou Vaa'i, Cameron Roigard, captain Codie Taylor, Leroy Carter, Josh Moorby and Will Jordan, with Damian McKenzie kicking six conversions and a penalty from first five-eighth. Eden Park's unbeaten run now stands at 54 Tests.

The night also brought Scott Barrett back. Four months after back surgery, and with two games for Taranaki as his only warm-up, the lock played 71 minutes for his 90th cap. "It was a long time coming," he said afterwards. Jordie Barrett called the win "a step forward" for a side that had been hurting.

The cost of winning

Leroy Carter scored his try and then limped off in the 66th minute with a high ankle sprain, the result of a hip-drop tackle, the kind World Rugby will class as foul play from 1 November. He misses Sydney, as do Asafo Aumua and Anton Segner (concussion), Ethan Blackadder (calf) and Richie Mo'unga (calf). Du'Plessis Kirifi, George Bell, Jamie Hannah and Anton Lienert-Brown were called in as cover.

The Sydney team, and what "eight changes" means

Dave Rennie has made three changes to the starting fifteen: George Bower comes in at loosehead, Fabian Holland partners Scott Barrett at lock, and Moorby moves onto the left wing for Carter. The other five changes are on the bench, where Samisoni Taukei'aho, Xavier Numia, Kirifi, Cortez Ratima and Timoci Tavatavanawai come in. The backline is otherwise unchanged, with McKenzie at 10 and Beauden Barrett, now on 146 caps, at fullback.

The All Blacks 23: Bower, Taylor (captain), Newell, S Barrett, Holland, Vaa'i, Lakai, Sititi, Roigard, McKenzie, Moorby, J Barrett, Tupaea, Jordan, B Barrett. Bench: Taukei'aho, Numia, Tosi, Frizell, Kirifi, Ratima, Tavatavanawai, R Ioane.

Will Jordan has 11 Test tries in 2026, the most by anyone in world rugby this year; his best in a season is 15, set in 2021. The two countries have met 182 times: New Zealand 129 wins, Australia 45, eight draws. The last Test at Accor Stadium, in September 2024, finished 31-28 to the All Blacks.

"The Wallabies are a proud side and they'll be hurting after last week," Rennie said. Australia have moved Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i to centre with Len Ikitau concussed and start Ben Meredith at first five-eighth.

The wing who worked in a tyre shop

The story of the week belongs to Josh Moorby. He grew up on a dairy farm at Te Awamutu, made the Hamilton Boys' High First XV only in his final year, and spent three seasons as a part-timer with Southland while working in retail, as a teacher's aide and at a tyre shop in Invercargill. Northland, Waikato and the Hurricanes followed, then a stint at Montpellier in France he cut short to come home. This year he scored 17 tries in the Hurricanes' title season, equal with Fehi Fineanganofo for a record, and made his Test debut at 27. On Saturday he starts a Bledisloe Cup Test. "It helped me grow up pretty quick," he has said of the years in Invercargill.

Wallabies v All Blacks, Accor Stadium, Sydney, kicks off at 6pm New Zealand time on Saturday 17 October, live on Sky Sport.