Codie Taylor will captain the All Blacks for the first time when they face the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday evening, as Dave Rennie rotates his squad for the final fixture before the first Test against the Springboks. The 109-cap hooker, who has been nursing a calf injury since the Nations Championship match against Ireland in July, returns to lead a side loaded with players fighting for Test selection.

Key squad news:

• Codie Taylor returns from calf injury to captain the All Blacks for the first time in his 110th match
• Josh Jacomb gets his first start at first five-eighth; Beauden Barrett shifts to fullback
• Props Tyrel Lomax and Xavier Numia make their first tour appearances
• Ardie Savea, Will Jordan and Cam Roigard not risked ahead of first Test
• Rieko Ioane starts at centre in the absence of the injured Billy Proctor
• Richie Mo’unga en route to Johannesburg but unavailable for the Bulls

Josh Jacomb gets his first run-on start at first five-eighth, becoming the third different playmaker to wear the number 10 jersey on tour after Beauden Barrett (Stormers) and Ruben Love (Sharks). Barrett, meanwhile, shifts to fullback — a position he has not occupied for the All Blacks since the 2024 tour of South Africa — providing Rennie with a fresh look at the 144-cap veteran in the number 15 jersey.

“Huge congratulations to Codie on his first All Blacks captaincy,” Rennie said. “He is a top man and has done a great job leading this tour group. This is a proud moment for an All Blacks centurion who has made a massive contribution to this team as a player and a leader.”

Taylor becomes the fourth captain used on tour after Patrick Tuipulotu (Stormers), Luke Jacobson (Sharks) and the absent Ardie Savea, who joined the squad this week but will not be risked before the first Test at Ellis Park on 23 August. Will Jordan (back) and Cam Roigard (calf) are also missing, with both yet to feature on the tour. Their continued absences will spark concern among supporters, though Rennie indicated he remained confident both would be fit for the Springboks.

“The plan was to give Cam 30 minutes off the bench but he pulled up a little lame,” Rennie said of Roigard, who was a late withdrawal from the Sharks match. “We’re pretty confident he’ll be right for the first Test. He’s played a lot of rugby this year.” On Jordan, the head coach added: “We need to get a decent training week into him next week. He’s not quite right, but he’s definitely better. We’re reasonably confident.”

The return of props Tyrel Lomax and Xavier Numia for their first tour appearances is significant. Lomax’s debut on tour had been delayed by an infected cut in his hand sustained since arriving in South Africa, and Rennie will be eager to see the tighthead come through unscathed given the scrum struggles that plagued the All Blacks against the Stormers. Numia’s inclusion at loosehead gives the Hurricanes prop a chance to push his claims for the Test starting role.

Fabian Holland returns for his second match of the tour, partnering Tuipulotu in the second row as he did against the Stormers, where the World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year produced an outstanding 58-minute display on his comeback from a long-term shoulder injury. The loose forward trio of Simon Parker, Anton Segner and Peter Lakai is also identical to the side that opened the tour in Cape Town.

In the backs, Rieko Ioane starts at outside centre alongside Anton Lienert-Brown as the All Blacks adjust to life without the injured Proctor. Ioane, who started on the wing against the Stormers before shifting to centre during the match, now gets a full run in the position. Leroy Carter and Josh Moorby occupy the wings, with Cortez Ratima partnering Jacomb in the halves.

Six players back up from the 54-0 rout of the Sharks: Josh Lord, Wallace Sititi, Kyle Preston, Ratima, Timoci Tavatavanawai and Emoni Narawa all feature from the bench. Richie Mo’unga, who was confirmed as Proctor’s replacement earlier today, is en route to Johannesburg and due to arrive on Friday — too late for involvement against the Bulls. Damian McKenzie is also rested as he nurses the ankle injury suffered in Durban, though Rennie has maintained he will be fit for the first Test.

Rennie expects a significant step up in opposition quality from the Bulls, who have reached the URC final in four of the last five seasons and will be boosted by the return of several players from Springbok duty ahead of next week’s Test series.

“The Bulls have consistently been South Africa’s best franchise side, making the United Rugby Championship finals in four of the last five years,” Rennie said. “Loftus Versfeld is one of the most formidable rugby grounds in the world, so we are aware of the challenge in front of us and excited at what lies ahead.

“This is also our final hit-out before the first Test match against the Springboks, so it is an important game for us. There is healthy competition for Test spots so this is another opportunity for players to put their hands up for selection.”

The match venue sits 1,350 metres above sea level, where the rarefied air allows kicks to travel significantly further than at ground level. The All Blacks have played at Loftus Versfeld 16 times since 1928, including four matches against the Bulls’ predecessors Northern Transvaal in 1949, 1960, 1970 and 1976 — winning the first three before losing the last 29-27. It was here, 20 years ago, that Dan Carter struck what remains possibly the longest penalty kick by an All Black, a 62-metre effort in a 45-26 victory.

All Blacks team to play the Bulls

Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria. Saturday 15 August, kick-off 7pm local time (5am Sunday 16 August NZT).

1. Xavier Numia (2 caps), 2. Codie Taylor (c) (109), 3. Tyrel Lomax (51), 4. Fabian Holland (12), 5. Patrick Tuipulotu (57), 6. Simon Parker (8), 7. Anton Segner (2), 8. Peter Lakai (10), 9. Cortez Ratima (24), 10. Josh Jacomb (0), 11. Josh Moorby (2), 12. Anton Lienert-Brown (90), 13. Rieko Ioane (88), 14. Leroy Carter (7), 15. Beauden Barrett (144).

Reserves: 16. Samisoni Taukei’aho (44), 17. George Bower (26), 18. Siale Lauaki (0), 19. Josh Lord (15), 20. Wallace Sititi (21), 21. Kyle Preston (1), 22. Timoci Tavatavanawai (2), 23. Emoni Narawa (4).

The Vodacom Bulls have named their strongest available side for Saturday’s Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour clash with the All Blacks at Loftus Versfeld, with fly-half Curwin Bosch among four capped Springboks in a starting XV that blends international class with returning firepower and rising Currie Cup talent.

Key team news:

• Fly-half Curwin Bosch marks his return to South African rugby after two years with Brive in France
• Four capped Springboks start: Marcell Coetzee (captain), Willie le Roux, Embrose Papier and Bosch
• Hanro Liebenberg returns to Pretoria after a successful seven-year stint with Leicester Tigers
• New recruits Thaakir Abrahams (from Munster) and Hakeem Kunene (from the Sharks) feature in the matchday 23
• Junior Springbok star Cheswill Jooste misses out after illness following the Junior World Championship
• Hooker Akker van der Merwe and winger Sebastian de Klerk are both ruled out through injury
• The match is the third on the All Blacks’ tour, following wins over the Stormers (38-21) and Sharks

Bosch’s inclusion is the standout selection. The gifted playmaker, long regarded as one of the most dangerous attacking pivots to emerge from South African rugby, has been largely off the radar during his time in France. His return to Loftus Versfeld, partnering scrum-half Papier — who earned his first Springbok cap in eight years when he started against Scotland at this very ground in July — gives the Bulls a half-back pairing with both international pedigree and an appetite for tempo.

YOUR TEAM TO FACE THE MIGHTY ALL BLACKS 😮‍💨

🗓️15 August | 19:00
🎟️ https://t.co/HI8UWLOt5f

SEE YOU AT LOFTUS 🔥 pic.twitter.com/P2nzOllaXo

— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) August 13, 2026

Liebenberg’s return to Pretoria is another significant talking point. The hard-working loose forward spent seven productive years at Leicester Tigers and slots straight into the starting side at openside flanker. He joins captain Coetzee at blindside and the dynamic Jeandre Rudolph at number eight, with Rudolph rewarded for what was a standout Vodacom URC campaign.

Bulls coach Johan Ackermann, who promised earlier this week that he would field the strongest side available, has been encouraged by the integration of his new signings. “Brilliant! All four of them have been amazing. They’ve settled in with the team, they’ve contributed and you can see they’ve been around the block,” he said of Bosch, Liebenberg, Abrahams and Kunene.

“They’re easy to coach and bring a lot of experience into our camp, culture and character so I’m looking forward to see how they’re going to play, but also gel with the team during the season.”

Le Roux, who at 101 caps is the most experienced player in the squad, starts at fullback and will face the All Blacks for the 20th time in his career. The veteran provides invaluable nous at the back alongside new signing Abrahams — the electric former Sharks and Munster wing who takes the number 14 jersey — and Stravino Jacobs on the left. In midfield, Harold Vorster and Stedman Gans form a familiar combination.

Up front, the Bulls have had to absorb the loss of a dozen players to Springbok duty and further absentees through injury. Hooker Akker van der Merwe has been ruled out, with Juann Else stepping in. Props Alu Tshakweni and Francois Klopper, both of whom earned their stripes in the URC, complete the front row. Ruan Vermaak and JF van Heerden — the latter a former South Africa Under-20 captain — pack down in the engine room.

One notable absentee is Junior Springbok sensation Cheswill Jooste, who was not considered after falling ill upon his return from the victorious Junior World Championship in Georgia. Ackermann explained the decision. “Cheswill came back from the Junior World Championship and we gave him two weeks off to recover. Then he only had two weeks in which to prepare — of which one he was very sick,” he said. “So when he returned on Monday, I spoke to the medical team and the feeling was not to risk him because he hadn’t done any speed and contact work in three weeks.”

The bench carries useful depth, with Kunene offering explosive pace from the outside backs, Katlego Letebele providing midfield and back-three cover, and Paul de Wet an alternative at scrum-half. Reinhardt Ludwig and Mpilo Gumede add forward ballast, while Jaundre Schoeman covers hooker alongside props Sti Sithole and Khuta Mchunu.

Ackermann was under no illusions about the scale of the challenge awaiting his side. The All Blacks arrive at Loftus on the back of victories over the Stormers and Sharks and will be building towards the first Test against the Springboks at Ellis Park the following weekend.

“We know how the All Blacks play. I know Dave Rennie well. All his teams play at a very high tempo and they want to speed everything up,” Ackermann said. “Lineouts, scrums, they keep the ball alive so to play at that tempo is something I enjoy and it’s something we strive towards. But to be able to do that, you would need to have a really good pre-season.

“You need to be fit and prepared to sharpen your skills on that level and we needed a few more weeks to get to that level.”

History favours the tourists. In four previous meetings between the sides dating back to 1949, New Zealand have won three. The Bulls’ — or more precisely Northern Transvaal’s — sole victory came in August 1976, when they edged the All Blacks 29-27 at Loftus. That result will mark its 50th anniversary almost to the day when the two sides meet again this weekend, and the current squad will be desperate to write a new chapter in that storied history.

Vodacom Bulls:
15. Willie le Roux
14. Thaakir Abrahams
13. Stedman Gans
12. Harold Vorster
11. Stravino Jacobs
10. Curwin Bosch
9. Embrose Papier
8. Jeandre Rudolph
7. Hanro Liebenberg
6. Marcell Coetzee (c)
5. JF van Heerden
4. Ruan Vermaak
3. Francois Klopper
2. Juann Else
1. Alu Tshakweni

Replacements:
16. Jaundre Schoeman
17. Sti Sithole
18. Khuta Mchunu
19. Reinhardt Ludwig
20. Mpilo Gumede
21. Paul de Wet
22. Katlego Letebele
23. Hakeem Kunene

Match details: Vodacom Bulls v New Zealand, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria. Saturday 16 August, kick-off TBC.

Les Kiss has turned to Carter Gordon at fly-half and made sweeping changes to his forward pack as the Wallabies look to seal a series victory over Japan in the second Flight Centre Series Test at Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville on Saturday afternoon.

Key team news:

• Carter Gordon returns at fly-half for his first appearance since the Ireland Test, replacing Declan Meredith
• Massimo De Lutiis named on the bench for a potential debut as Wallaby number 1000
• Isaac Henry earns his first Test start at outside centre after Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii ruled out with a hamstring injury
• Almost entirely new starting pack — only Josh Nasser and Harry Wilson retained from Osaka
• Lukhan Salakaia-Loto named for his first Test of 2026; Lachlan Shaw earns first start; Charlie Cale starts at blindside
• A win would give the Wallabies three consecutive victories for the first time since 2024

Gordon’s return is the headline selection call in a team that features nine changes to the starting XV from last weekend’s gruelling 35-32 win in Osaka. The 25-year-old, who switched back to rugby union last year after a stint in the NRL, has not played since the opening Nations Championship Test against Ireland in July, when the calf injury that has dogged his 2026 campaign forced him to the sidelines. He was declared fully fit last week but Kiss opted to back Declan Meredith for the Osaka Test. This time, however, the new coach has made the change after Meredith struggled in the heat and was comprehensively outplayed by Japan’s brilliant young fly-half Ryunosuke Ito.

Your 23 to face Japan in Townsville 🦘

Live on @Channel9 & @StanSportAU 📺 pic.twitter.com/Y5sUEzduRB

— Wallabies (@wallabies) August 13, 2026

Gordon will partner scrum-half Ryan Lonergan in the halves, becoming the latest in a carousel at number 10 that has seen seven players wear the jersey since Joe Schmidt took charge in 2024. Ben Donaldson will provide backup from the bench, with Meredith missing the matchday 23 entirely.

The changes in the pack are even more dramatic. Only hooker Josh Nasser and captain Harry Wilson survive from the starting eight that took the field in Osaka, with Kiss overhauling his tight five and back row after what he described as a “physically taxing” week in Japan.

Angus Bell returns at loosehead prop alongside the experienced Taniela Tupou at tighthead, replacing Aidan Ross and Allan Alaalatoa respectively. Bell returns to Queensland Country Bank Stadium for the first time since his dramatic 84th-minute match-winning try against Argentina at the same venue last year.

There is an entirely new second row with Lukhan Salakaia-Loto named for his first Test of 2026 alongside Lachlan Shaw, who earns his first start in Wallaby gold after two appearances from the bench. Salakaia-Loto’s inclusion vindicates his controversial recall to the squad after he was overlooked for the Nations Championship. Miles Amatosero is unavailable after his 20-minute red card in Osaka resulted in a suspension.

The back row has also been reshaped, with the dynamic Charlie Cale selected for his first start at blindside flanker and Carlo Tizzano wearing the number seven jersey ahead of Fraser McReight, who drops to the bench. Rob Valetini is the notable omission from the matchday 23 as Kiss manages workloads ahead of a demanding run of fixtures.

In the backline, the only change beyond Gordon’s inclusion comes at outside centre, where Isaac Henry has been elevated to his first Test start after making his debut off the bench in Osaka. Henry replaces Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, who has been ruled out with a minor hamstring injury. The Reds centre will form a familiar midfield partnership with club teammate Hunter Paisami, who retains his place at inside centre. The back three of fullback Tom Wright, who wins his 48th cap, and wingers Harry Potter and Max Jorgensen is unchanged for a third consecutive Test.

The most compelling storyline on the bench is the inclusion of Gold Coast junior Massimo De Lutiis, the uncapped Queensland Reds tighthead prop who is in line to become the 1,000th player to represent Australia should he take the field. The 22-year-old, who rejected approaches from Ireland to re-sign with the Reds, famously bench-pressed a record 202.5 kilograms in the gym at Ballymore and has been earmarked for big things by Wallabies coaching staff since former scrum guru Mike Cron picked him for Australia A in 2024 before he had even made his Super Rugby debut.

De Lutiis joins Brandon Paenga-Amosa and Ross in the replacement front row, with Jeremy Williams again providing lock cover. McReight is the remaining forward replacement, while Tate McDermott, Donaldson and the versatile Filipo Daugunu round out the matchday 23.

“The coaches have looked to find some balance in the selection after what was a physically taxing Test week in the heat in Japan,” Kiss said.

“The whole group has worked hard this week and we know where we need to improve. This Saturday in Townsville gives us an opportunity to grow and strengthen our game on home soil in front of our supporters.”

A victory on Saturday would give the Wallabies three consecutive wins for the first time since 2024, following their 57-10 demolition of Italy and the narrow escape in Osaka. It would also provide Kiss with valuable momentum heading into a demanding stretch of fixtures that includes a two-Test tour of Argentina at the end of August, a home Test against South Africa in Perth, two Bledisloe Cup matches against New Zealand, and four November Tests in the United Kingdom.

Wallabies team to play Japan

Starting XV: 15. Tom Wright (ACT Brumbies, 47 caps), 14. Max Jorgensen (NSW Waratahs, 24 caps), 13. Isaac Henry (Queensland Reds, 1 cap), 12. Hunter Paisami (Queensland Reds, 36 caps), 11. Harry Potter (NSW Waratahs, 13 caps), 10. Carter Gordon (Queensland Reds, 10 caps), 9. Ryan Lonergan (ACT Brumbies, 9 caps), 8. Harry Wilson (c) (Queensland Reds, 40 caps), 7. Carlo Tizzano (Western Force, 15 caps), 6. Charlie Cale (ACT Brumbies, 3 caps), 5. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto (Queensland Reds, 45 caps), 4. Lachlan Shaw (ACT Brumbies, 2 caps), 3. Taniela Tupou (Racing 92, 71 caps), 2. Josh Nasser (Queensland Reds, 14 caps), 1. Angus Bell (NSW Waratahs, 54 caps).

Replacements: 16. Brandon Paenga-Amosa (Western Force, 22 caps), 17. Aidan Ross (Queensland Reds, 4 caps), 18. Massimo De Lutiis* (Queensland Reds, uncapped), 19. Jeremy Williams (Western Force, 29 caps), 20. Fraser McReight (Queensland Reds, 43 caps), 21. Tate McDermott (Queensland Reds, 54 caps), 22. Ben Donaldson (Western Force, 22 caps), 23. Filipo Daugunu (Queensland Reds, 22 caps). *denotes potential Test debut.

Match details: Wallabies v Japan, Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville. Saturday 15 August, 3.00pm AEST.