Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
More injury setbacks for the All Blacks have opened the door for the Wallabies to end a 40-year Eden Park curse.
Gun flyhalf Richie Mo’unga and form winger Fehi Fineanganofo were on Thursday both ruled out of the Bledisloe Cup 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.
Fineanganofo, who scored a record 17 tries for the champion Hurricanes in the last Super Rugby Pacific season, failed concussion tests that he’d initially passed after suffering a head knock in club rugby.
He had been eyeing his first start of the Test season against the Wallabies, while Mo’unga had taken the reins from Ruben Love when the No.10 hurt his ankle during the South Africa series.
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 by injury.
It leaves Josh Jacomb, Damian McKenzie or Beauden Barrett jostling for the No.10 jersey, with coach Dave Rennie to confirm his side later on Thursday.
The All Blacks are undefeated in 53 Tests at Eden Park since 1994, while Australia have gone 24 games without a win at the venue, since 1986.
New Zealand have also held the Bledisloe Cup since 2003 and won their last 11 encounters.
Australia, set to name their team later on Thursday, have won four times and drawn once under new coach Les Kiss, including an enthralling defeat of South Africa in their last start despite being reduced to 11 men in the final minutes.
Centre Len Ikitau is expected to be named in the side despite suffering an ankle injury in that defeat of the Springbokes.
