Les Kiss turns to Declan Meredith at flyhalf after Carter Gordon and Ben Donaldson drop out, with uncapped Harry McLaughlin-Phillips on the bench.
Australia's playmaker picture has been shaken up again. Coach Les Kiss has named Declan Meredith as his starting flyhalf for Saturday's second Bledisloe Cup Test against New Zealand in Sydney, with Carter Gordon and Ben Donaldson both ruled out by injury.
Backing Meredith up is uncapped Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, who could be in line for a debut off the bench. It is a big call at a big moment, with the Wallabies searching for answers at the most important position on the field.
The pressure is firmly on Kiss. He suffered the first defeat of his tenure last week in Auckland, where the All Blacks ran out 50-19 winners. That result sealed New Zealand's retention of the Bledisloe Cup for a 24th consecutive year, a streak that keeps stretching on and on.
New Zealand are not standing still either. The All Blacks have made three changes to their starting XV for the Sydney clash, looking to follow up their dominant display and stay a step ahead of a Wallabies side that is short on options in the playmaking department.
For Australia, the task is simple but steep: settle the backline, stop the bleeding and prove that the Auckland hammering was a one-off. Meredith will have to steer the ship from the first whistle.
