Jack Goodhue, Waisake Naholo named in All Blacks starting lineup
THE contentious outside centre spot in the All Blacks team to face the Wallabies has been settled, while coach Steve Hansen sprang a minor surprise in the outside backs.
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JACK Goodhue has won the contentious outside centre berth in a near full strength All Blacks team to face the Wallabies in Sydney.
In one of the few dilemmas for coach Steve Hansen, rising star Goodhue will play his second Test in the Bledisloe Cup opener on Saturday, seeing off the more accomplished Anton Lienert-Brown.
Hansen has stuck closely to the team who whitewashed France 3-0 in June, although he sprung a minor surprise in the outside backs.
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It was expected he would restore Jordie Barrett to fullback and shift Ben Smith to the right wing, as happened in the first two French Tests.
However, Smith starts in his specialist fullback berth, with Highlanders teammate Waisake Naholo out wide.
The only other changes from Hansen’s strongest side against France are the return from injury of captain Kieran Read at No 8 and lock Brodie Retallick.
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The Test will be the 100th for lock Sam Whitelock, making him New Zealand’s eighth centurion.
His 25th Test against Australia will make Whitelock the first All Blacks second rower to raise three figures.
At the other end of his career is Crusaders teammate Goodhue, whose sharp form for the Super Rugby champions has helped him win the midfield berth left vacant by the injured Sonny Bill Williams.
Another Crusader, Ryan Crotty, shifts to inside centre, making way for a player who assistant coach Ian Foster agreed looked composed when introduced for the third Test against France.
“He came through a Super Rugby campaign where he was used extremely physically in the first part of the championship and then I think as it wore on he was able to play a little bit wider and a little bit how we would expect a centre to play,” Foster said.
“He’s got the ability to do both.”
The only players missing from potentially New Zealand’s strongest side are Williams and injured hooker Dane Coles.
ALL BLACKS: Ben Smith, Waisake Naholo, Jack Goodhue, Ryan Crotty, Rieko Ioane, Beauden Barrett, Aaron Smith, Kieran Read (c), Sam Cane, Liam Squire, Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Owen Franks, Codie Taylor, Joe Moody
Reserves: Nathan Harris, Karl Tu’inukuafe, Ofa Tuungafasi, Scott Barrett, Ardie Savea, TJ Perenara, Damian McKenzie, Anton Lienert-Brown