All Blacks

One-test Tasman prop Tyrel Lomax, uncapped Canterbury utility forward Cullen Grace and uncapped Wellington midfielder Peter Umaga-Jensen have all been given the green light to play in round five of the Mitre 10 Cup.

Subsequently, it’s unlikely any of the trio will be available for the match against the Wallabies, with Grace set to play Manawatu on Friday, Umaga-Jensen expected to face off against Otago on Saturday, and Lomax scheduled to go up against Bay of Plenty on Sunday.

Not this time.

A new coach, new staff and 16 uncapped players in Dave Rennie's 44 man squad has left only the bravest of Wallabies fans giving the Australians a hope when the first Bledisloe Cup Test kicks off in Wellington on Sunday.

Some players may take the lack of confidence in the fresh-faced Wallabies personally. Not James Slipper.

He has endured enough defeats at the hands of the All Blacks - 14 in his 96 Tests - to admit the Wallabies "do not have a leg to stand on" when it comes to results when it counts against the Kiwis.

The draw was released this morning with the All Blacks set to play their last game (against Australia) on December 12th, meaning the players won't be home for christmas once they've undergone a two week quarantine.

New Zealand Rugby says the release of the schedule from Rugby Australia and SANZAAR is a change from original planning.

The All Blacks are scheduled to play Australia in Brisbane on Saturday 7 November and Argentina the following Saturday in Sydney on 14 November.

The All Blacks play Australia in two Bledisloe Cup matches in Wellington on October 11th and in Auckland the following week, the first rugby tests since the Six Nations was put on hold in late March due to the pandemic.

The training camp, in Whakatane, is the first opportunity All Blacks coach Ian Foster has had to work with the squad since naming it earlier this month.

Those players include first-fives Richie Mo'unga and Beauden Barrett.

New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson said they want to have the tournament wrapped up by early December.

"We want our players to feel happy safe and comfortable in the environments they are in ... we are like any employer we want to do the right thing by them and ensure they have the appropriate time to consider all the ramifications of being away for that period of time so we will just continue to work through that.

The Wallabies are due to play the All Blacks in two Bledisloe Cup matches in New Zealand.

The Wallabies coach had complained about the lack of preparation time due to quarantine requirements.

Ardern told Morning Report the Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield was happy for the team to train together while in quarantine.

Training will be allowed from day three and the full squad from day six.

The 25 year old will remain with the Crusaders and Northland during that time.

"It's an awesome opportunity. Of course, I love playing rugby in New Zealand. Love representing my province at home in Northland, playing for the Crusaders and whatever rugby I can for New Zealand. It's awesome," Goodhue said.

The midfielder joins fellow All Blacks Samuel Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Patrick Tuipulotu, Scott Barrett, Beauden Barrett and Anton Lienert-Brown in recommitting to the end of the next World Cup in France.

In the past, Aumua

The 23-year-old hooker has been recalled to the All Blacks in coach Ian Foster's first squad.

Aumua made two appearances for New Zealand off the bench in 2017, before he had played Super Rugby, but then the speedster who made an impact at the World Under 20 Championship that year couldn't push on with the national side.

The Wellingtonian, who has signed with the Hurricanes until the end of 2023, said he worked hard on and off the field in recent years with the aim of establishing himself as an All Black.

Scans have confirmed that Ennor ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the North v South match in Wellington at the weekend.

Ennor, 23, who was named in the All Blacks squad on Sunday, will now see a specialist over the next few days, is expected to undergo surgery and be out of rugby for up to nine months.

All Blacks Head Coach Ian Foster said: "It's hugely disappointing for Braydon, but he is a strong young man and we'll be supporting him as he goes through his surgery and rehab over the next few months."