All Blacks v Australia: Has Robertson missed an opportunity?

All Blacks v Wallabies

Kick-off: 7.05pm Saturday 28 September NZT

Sky Stadium, Wellington

Live updates on RNZ Sport

Analysis - The signs that Scott Robertson is shifting the All Blacks into a creation of his own making are evident so far in 2024.

While the results could be better, you cannot argue much with the new players he has debuted this season and there is a feeling that they are at least almost there with what the team is trying to do.

'Almost' still is not good enough by All Blacks standards and Robertson admitted as much on Thursday at the team naming press conference, so nothing short of a dominant victory over the Wallabies on Saturday night is going to shift that narrative.

Even with their shocking recent record at Sky Stadium taken into account, the All Blacks should feel confident of achieving that because, if nothing else, they are due. Robertson has made one big change at first five, Beauden Barrett taking over from Damian McKenzie, but bringing in a 131-test veteran does not exactly feel like a look to the future.

This is not a knock on Barrett at all, the guy did not win two World Player of the Year awards by accident, rather more a comment that Robertson did not take the opportunity to give Harry Plummer at least a run in the reserves. McKenzie will come off the bench and Plummer will watch from the stands, a week after his brief debut in Sydney.

Meanwhile, a reshuffle in the midfield sees Anton Lienert-Brown start at second five, with Rieko Ioane outside him and David Havili providing cover off the bench. Again, no real complaints there because it all makes sense, but where does that leave the impressive Billy Proctor?

The Hurricanes centre mounted a pretty good case to be the first choice starter in the position after a stunning Super Rugby Pacific season, but his test game time has been limited to just the one appearance against Fiji.

Now it looks like those two, along with probably a few others who have not even been picked yet, will run out for a depleted All Black side against Japan next month in Tokyo. There will be the usual split between the main elements of that squad and the one that will travel straight to London for the first of three extremely tough weekends for the All Blacks as they take on England, Ireland and France.

But what are we going to learn about Plummer and Proctor from that game that we do not already know? Probably not an awful lot, the last time the All Blacks played this fixture it was a messy, ill-disciplined encounter that they just seemed happy to get out of the way. Besides, the way Japan are tracking under charlatan coach Eddie Jones right now gives little hope of it being more than opposed training run.

Then there is a test at the back end of the tour against the hapless Italy that will likely feature those players as well.

Really though, this weekend really feels like the best time to give them a run. Especially since it is Proctor's home ground and Plummer's reputation is that of a safe pair of hands, as well as a safe right foot off the tee. It would have been a very risk averse selection in a position that is coming under intense scrutiny, plus a way of seeing how the All Black backline operates with a game manager rather than a maverick pulling the strings.

Still, the signs are at least there of what the All Blacks will look like in a couple of years' time. Wallace Sititi's rise to prominence gives intriguing potential of a loose forward reshuffle next season that could see Ardie Savea back to openside and a hopefully healthy Ethan Blackadder on the blind. Tupou Vaa'i's now very handy work rate has created depth at lock, while the front row remains a solidly predictable selection.

The only real issues are out wide. While Caleb Clarke is arguably playing the best rugby of his career and Will Jordan seemingly transitioning to a test fullback, no one is really screaming out to be a locked in pick on the other wing. Perhaps if there are to be any bolters on the end of year tour, that is where we are going to see them.

All Blacks: 1 Ethan de Groot 2 Codie Taylor 3 Tyrel Lomax 4 Scott Barrett (c) 5 Tupou Vaa'i 6 Wallace Sititi 7 Sam Cane 8 Ardie Savea 9 TJ Perenara 10 Beauden Barrett 11 Caleb Clarke 12 Anton Lienert-Brown 13 Rieko Ioane 14 Sevu Reece 15 Will Jordan

Bench: 16 Asafo Aumua 17 Tamaiti Williams 18 Pasilio Tosi 19 Patrick Tuipulotu 20 Luke Jacobson 21 Cortez Ratima 22 David Havili 23 David Havili

Wallabies: 1 Angus Bell, 2 Matt Faessler 3 Taniela Tupou 4 Nick Frost 5 Jeremy Williams 6 Rob Valetini 7 Fraser McReight 8 Harry Wilson (c) 9 Jake Gordon (26 Tests) 10 Noah Lolesio 11 Dylan Pietsch 12 Hunter Paisami 13 Len Ikitau 14 Andrew Kellaway 15 Tom Wright

Bench: 16 Brandon Paenga-Amosa 17 Isaac Kailea 18 Allan Alaalatoa 19 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto 20 Langi Gleeson 21 Tate McDermott 22 Ben Donaldson 23 Josh Flook