Why Josh Jacomb hasn't got a chance at No.10 yet for the All Blacks

The All Blacks have resisted giving Josh Jacomb a chance to start against the Wallabies in Sydney in the final Bledisloe Test, opting for consistency with the same selections as last week.

With Ruben Love and Richie Mo’unga sidelined with injuries, head coach Dave Rennie has stuck with Damian McKenzie and Beauden Barrett as the 10-15 combination.

The 25-year-old first five, who will move to the Highlanders next year, impressed in cameos across the warm-up fixtures in South Africa but is yet make a Test debut.

“We want consistency,” Rennie said of the team selections.

“We’re not sure whether Richie’s going to make it back in time for end of the year tour, and Damian’s only had one hit at No.10, so you know we think that majority of the guys out there will get another run.

“We look we considered it. He’s likely to tour at the end of the year and get his opportunity.”

Rennie’s hint at a larger role for Jacomb comes with doubt over Richie Mo’unga’s ability to get back in time for the November Nations Championship window.

Mo’unga is with the team in Sydney but only to continue a rehab programme with the All Blacks’ medical staff.

“We brought them over just so our medics can control the rehab. He’s progressing well, but it’s you know that injury is potentially a six-eight weeker, and if we got him back in five, which is possible, he’s progressing pretty well.

“Even that would be you miss the first couple of games on tour, so we’ve got to weigh up where he’s at and whether we can afford to maybe take him [on tour] when he can’t play for the first two or three.”

There were few unforced changes in Rennie’s starting XV, keeping the side similar to the team that won 50-19 at Eden Park.

Rennie knows all too well that the Wallabies can still get up for a “dead rubber”, having coached the last Wallabies victory over the All Blacks in 2020 after the Bledisloe series winner was already determined.

“We talk a lot about you know the Cup’s secure, but we still want to be better, and you know so we we talk a lot about black standard, and so you know it was good last week.

“We did a lot of really good things. We still think we can we can be better than that, and you know we got a good side on the field against you know Wallaby side.

“We know they’ll be hurting. You know they would have come to Edin Park with a lot of confidence. It’s funny, it was areasonably tight game, and we just got a lot of momentum for 15-20 minutes, and that was the game.

“So, yeah, I think they’ll still take confidence from a big chunk of that game, and I’m sure they’ll bar up in the weekend.”