All Blacks opt for stability as Wallabies roll dice for crunch clash

Friday, 28 July 2023 01:52 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

MELBOURNE, AFP: Under-pressure Wallabies coach Eddie Jones rolled the dice Thursday with a new-look “young, vibrant” side to face the All Blacks in Melbourne, while powerhouse New Zealand opted for stability in making just one injury-enforced change.

Australia head into the Melbourne Cricket Ground game on Saturday, in front of an expected 80,000 fans, after consecutive Rugby Championship defeats to South Africa and Argentina.

Should the All Blacks win they will retain not only the Rugby Championship title, but also the trans-Tasman Bledisloe Cup, which Australia has not got its hands on since 2002.

Former England boss Jones is without a win since taking over from Dave Rennie, and again shuffled the deck as he continues his search for his best side to field at the September-October World Cup in France.

The biggest surprise among seven changes to the run-on team was Test rookie Carter Gordon getting the nod at fly-half ahead of 78-Test stalwart Quade Cooper, who started the last two matches.

Gordon will partner scrum-half Tate McDermott, preferred to another veteran Nic White as Jones looks to freshen up the underperforming team.

Equally surprising was co-skipper James Slipper dropping to the bench, with Angus Bell linking up with hooker David Porecki and tighthead prop Allan Alaalatoa.

As expected, fellow co-skipper Michael Hooper was not among the 23 as he continues to recover from a calf injury, with ACT Brumbies captain Alaalatoa taking the armband.