Wallabies v All Blacks - Bledisloe II

Kick-off: 10:45pm Saturday 4 October

Optus Stadium, Perth

A bullish Scott Robertson has said that his changes for this weekend's second Bledisloe Cup test against the Wallabies are to reward 'fresh and hungry' players.

Most notable of those is in the forwards, where Peter Lakai has been given a start at number eight, which shifts Wallace Sititi to the bench.

"(Lakai) took his opportunity the other day (in the Eden Park test off the bench)," revealed Robertson.

"We feel like this sort of game, the way he hunts and his skill set, will suit a start. It's a good chance for Wally to come on and make an impact. We're pleased for Peter, he's ready."

Wallace Sititi, Tupou Vaa’i and Peter Lakai of the All Blacks. Photo: Marty Melville/Photosport

Elsewhere, the other big change is in the midfield, where Quinn Tupaea replaces Billy Proctor. Robertson said that the toll that the season has had so far on Proctor informed the selection, as well as Tupaea's very good appearances off the bench that included a crucial try against the Springboks and a heavy workload against the Wallabies.

"Billy is a bit banged up. He's had five tests in a row," Robertson said.

"He's been awesome and got better with the time on the stage. His body needs a chance to freshen up. It's great for Quinn, who has had a couple of good cameos and he's ready to go. Him and Jordie work really well together with all the work defensively."

Leicester Fainga'anuku comes in on the wing to start in place of the injured Caleb Clarke, who trained this week but couldn't regain his fitness in time, with Robertson saying that "he was running around, but he's not quite right".

Robertson said that Fainga'anuku was "a big body and a point of difference".

The other changes to the All Blacks are injury-enforced, with Tamaiti Williams for Ethan de Groot, Fletcher Newell for Tyrel Lomax and Damian McKenzie for Beauden Barrett. When asked about how this presents a challenge to maintaining consistency, Robertson said the ultimate goal was to "create competition in the squad and a little bit of depth".

"You get your combinations and then there's the time to give other guys opportunities. It's the guys' chance now who are fresh and hungry to have a crack and that's the balance of it … every time someone has had an opportunity, they've taken it."

Meanwhile, the Wallabies have made five changes of their own to the side that lost 33-24 at Eden Park. The biggest, literally, is Will Skelton returning at lock after having to spend the last month playing for La Rochelle in the French Top 14 competition. Robertson said that the 145kg Skelton presents a new challenge for an All Black pack that conceded two lineout drive tries last weekend.

"It changes the weight of the forward pack, there's a few more kilos on it. They're big ball carriers and they'll be running off nine. You've just got to watch the Lions (series) to know how they'll play," Robertson said.

The All Blacks have already retained the Bledisloe Cup with the win at Eden Park, however that hasn't dampened the enthusiasm of the Perth rugby public. The 60,000 seat Optus Stadium is sold out for the test, with Wallaby fans hoping to see a repeat of the 2019 fixture that saw their team post a record 47-29 scoreline on the All Blacks.

However, they have only enjoyed victory once since then - in Brisbane a year later. In fact, an All Black win this weekend will set a new record streak against the Wallabies with 11 in a row. The match is also the final round of the Rugby Championship, with the All Blacks likely needing an upset win by the Pumas over the Springboks in London on Sunday morning to take the title.

Team lists

Wallabies: 1. James Slipper, 2. Billy Pollard, 3. Allan Alaalatoa, 4. Nick Frost, 5. Will Skelton, 6. Tom Hooper, 7. Fraser McReight, 8. Harry Wilson (c), 9. Jake Gordon, 10. Tane Edmed, 11. Filipo Daugunu, 12. Len Ikitau, 13. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 14. Harry Potter, 15. Max Jorgensen

Bench: 16. Josh Nasser, 17. Tom Robertson, 18. Taniela Tupou, 19. Jeremy Williams, 20. Rob Valetini, 21. Ryan Lonergan, 22. James O'Connor, 23. Josh Flook

All Blacks: 1. Tamaiti Williams, 2. Codie Taylor, 3. Fletcher Newell, 4. Scott Barrett (Captain), 5. Tupou Vaa'i, 6. Simon Parker, 7. Ardie Savea (Vice-Captain), 8. Peter Lakai, 9. Cam Roigard, 10. Damian McKenzie, 11. Leicester Fainga'anuku, 12. Jordie Barrett (Vice-Captain), 13. Quinn Tupaea, 14. Leroy Carter, 15. Will Jordan

Bench: 16. Samisoni Taukei'aho, 17. George Bower, 18. Pasilio Tosi, 19. Patrick Tuipulotu, 20. Wallace Sititi, 21. Cortez Ratima, 22. Rieko Ioane, 23. Ruben Love

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/574801/all-blacks-name-team-for-bledisloe-ii