The Kangaroos haven’t played a game without Cameron Smith since 2009

This will be just the second Test Australia play without Cameron Smith since he made his debut in 2006 and first since the 2009 Four Nations match against France. It will be the first time the Kangaroos face New Zealand without Cameron Smith since the 2006 mid-year Test. At 23 years and 57 days, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak will become the youngest Kiwi captain since Kieran Foran captained the 2013 mid-year Test against Australia, aged 22 years, 280 days.

Boyd Cordner is the first New South Welshman to captain Australia since Danny Buderus did so in the 2005 Tri Nations Finals. Australia has played 58 Test Matches since that time. Adam Blair will play his 46th Test for New Zealand moving into equal second spot for most test caps alongside both Stacey Jones and Gary Freeman and trailing only Ruben Wiki who played 55 Tests. Shaun Johnson requires two goals to equal Matthew Ridge (71 goals) as the all-time leading goal kicker for New Zealand.