New Zealand head to Australia with pride on the line in round five of the 2024 Rugby Championship. Australia host New Zealand in the first of two fixtures to crown the winners of the Bledisloe Cup – a series set within the Rugby Championship that has been contested between the trans-Tasman rivals for almost a century.
When is Australia vs. New Zealand?
Australia vs. New Zealand in the 2024 Rugby Championship kicks off at 1:45 a.m. ET on Sept. 21. This fixture takes place at Stadium Australia.
Once again, Australia coach Joe Schmidt has rung the changes, with Nic White and Noah Lolesio replacing Jake Gordon and Ben Donaldson at No. 9 and 10. Incoming openside flanker Fraser McReight is the solitary change to the starting forward pack.
Veteran prop James Slipper is set to become the most capped Australian in test rugby when he joins the fray, displacing Ireland and British and Irish Lions legend Brian O'Driscoll among the top five most capped players in the game's history.
New Zealand also arrive smarting after two narrow defeats to the tournament's runaway leaders South Africa. Out of the running for the Rugby Championship, the 20-time winners instead play for pride – and to cement their Bledisloe Cup dominance having won the past 21 consecutive series stretching back to 2003.
In comes Ethan de Groot, Caleb Clarke and Beauden Barrett in place of Tamaiti Williams, Mark Telea and Sevu Reece as All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson makes three changes to the starting XV.
The first Bledisloe Cup fixture takes place at the Accor Stadium in Sydney, with the return leg at the Sky Stadium in Wellington next Saturday.
