Wallabies coach Eddie Jones is banking on a young starting line-up to turn around his team’s fortunes against the All Blacks, injecting rookie playmaker Carter Gordon into the starting line-up among a raft of changes for Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup opener at the MCG.
Gordon will wear the number 10 jersey in what will be just his third Test and partner scrum-half Tate McDermott in an all-new playmaking combination, with veterans Quade Cooper and Nic White to come off the bench.
After being a reserve for the Wallabies in the opening two games of the Rugby Championship, both losses, Gordon, 22, trained as the starting five-eighth this week in Melbourne in preparation for taking on the All Blacks.
Moving Gordon into the starting line-up is a considered decision from Jones to get energy upfront in the game and then bring “experienced finishers” on to potentially close out what would…