Barrett confirmed at No 10; MilnerSkudder out
AUCKLAND: Beauden Barrett is a confirmed starter in a trimmeddown All Blacks team to face the Wallabies in Sydney on Saturday.
Outside back Nehe MilnerSkudder and midfield back Sonny Bill Williams were not on the plane out of Christchurch yesterday as the travelling group was pruned to 32 players.
Williams was unavailable anyway with a shoulder injury, while MilnerSkudder was regarded as an unlikely starter.
Of more interest was selector Grant Fox’s confirmation that Barrett would wear No 10 in the Bledisloe Cup opener.
The form of Crusaders fiveeighth Richie Mo’unga thrust him into the picture, even though he has just one reserves bench cap to his name.
Crusaders assistant coach Ronan O’Gara suggested the All Blacks consider shifting Barrett — whose Super Rugby campaign was mixed — to fullback to cater for Mo’unga.
Fox confirmed that would not happen, banking on the past test deeds of twotime world player of the year Barrett.
‘‘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,’’ Fox told Radio Live yesterday.
‘‘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.’’
Fox said Damian McKenzie was also part of the equation at fiveeighth, having produced an exhilarating starting display in New Zealand’s most recent outing, the thirdtest win over France in June.
Meanwhile, Australia captain Michael Hooper has been cleared for Saturday’s match.
Flanker Hooper was named in a 28man squad released by Wallabies coach Michael Cheika yesterday, with prop Scott Sio and winger Dane HaylettPetty also given the green light for the Sydney match after respective shoulder and knee injuries.
The squad, trimmed down from 36, includes only two uncapped players in outside backs Tom Banks and Jack Maddocks.
Folau Faingaa, Jermaine Ainsley, Rory Arnold, Caleb Timu, Billy Meakes, Curtis Rona, Jordan Petaia and Sefa Naivalu were cut from the preliminary training squad. — AAP/Reuters