Kiss keeps Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii on wing and names Isaac Henry for Eden Park Bledisloe Test

Australia coach Les Kiss named his side on Thursday, retaining Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii on the left wing and calling up Isaac Henry to start at outside centre for the first Bledisloe Cup Test at Eden Park on Saturday.

Henry, a four-Test Queensland Reds midfielder, will start at outside centre two months after making his debut against Japan in Osaka; his return is the only change to the Wallabies starting XV that beat South Africa 42-38 in Perth two weeks ago.

Inside centre Hunter Paisami is unavailable after receiving a four-week ban for a high tackle against the world champions, while Len Ikitau, who scored two tries in Perth at outside centre, passed an ankle fitness test and shifts one place to wear the No 12 jersey.

Kiss opted not to move Suaalii back into midfield despite the winger having played the majority of his 25 Tests there; Suaalii will remain on the left wing after his performance in space against the Springboks, including his work under the high ball.

The starting pack is unchanged but the replacements list has been altered: flanker Tom Hooper and prop Taniela Tupou have returned to their clubs in Europe because the two-match Bledisloe Cup series falls outside World Rugby’s international window, and Massimo De Lutiis, Nick Champion de Crespigny and Josh Nasser join the bench with Declan Meredith also named, shifting Kiss’s bench split from 6-2 to 5-3 forwards-to-backs.

Kiss enters the Test unbeaten in his first five matches since succeeding Joe Schmidt, registering four wins and a draw.

New Zealand were hit by a string of injuries with Richie Mo’unga and Fehi Fineanganofo ruled out of the opener; Mo’unga tore his calf muscle at training on Tuesday and will miss Saturday’s Auckland Test as well as next week’s rematch in Sydney, while Fineanganofo failed concussion tests after suffering a head knock in club rugby and had been seeking his first Test start of the season. Captain Ardie Savea (shoulder), Luke Jacobson (elbow), Anton Lienert-Brown (knee), Billy Proctor (shoulder), Caleb Clarke (shoulder), Ollie Norris (knee) and Patrick Tuipulotu (calf) are also sidelined.

All Blacks coach Dave Rennie resisted debuting Chiefs playmaker Josh Jacomb at No 10, shifted Damian McKenzie from fullback into the 10 jersey and named Beauden Barrett at 15; Scott Barrett returns straight into the starting second row after a non-playing sabbatical during which he dealt with foot and back injuries.

Wallabies: Tom Wright; Max Jorgensen, Isaac Henry, Len Ikitau, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii; Ben Donaldson, Ryan Lonergan; Harry Wilson (capt), Fraser McReight, Rob Valetini; Jeremy Williams, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto; Allan Alaalatoa, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Angus Bell. Replacements: Josh Nasser, Aidan Ross, Massimo De Lutiis, Lachlan Shaw, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Tate McDermott, Declan Meredith, Harry Potter.

All Blacks: Ethan de Groot, Codie Taylor (capt), Fletcher Newell, Scott Barrett, Josh Lord, Tupou Vaa’i, Peter Lakai, Wallace Sititi, Cam Roigard, Damian McKenzie, Leroy Carter, Jordie Barrett, Quinn Tupaea, Will Jordan, Beauden Barrett. Replacements: Asafo Aumua, George Bower, Pasilio Tosi, Shannon Frizell, Kyle Preston, Rieko Ioane, Josh Moorby.

The Test at Eden Park on Saturday is the opener of the two-match Bledisloe Cup series, with the second Test scheduled in Sydney next week and Mo’unga confirmed absent from both matches.