Ben Donaldson Injury Update: Australia Suffer Huge Blow as Wallabies Flyhalf Ruled Out of Bledisloe Cup Test vs New Zealand

Australia’s chances of ending their long wait for a Bledisloe Cup victory have taken another hit, with Ben Donaldson ruled out of Saturday’s second Test against New Zealand due to an injury to his kicking leg. The Wallabies are already facing an uphill battle after their 50-19 defeat in Auckland last week, and the flyhalf’s absence adds to the challenge of taking on the All Blacks on home soil.

Donaldson had stepped up in the number 10 role following Carter Gordon’s injury and played a part in two of Australia’s tries at Eden Park. That defeat ensured New Zealand retained the Bledisloe Cup for a 24th consecutive year. With Donaldson unavailable for the Sydney clash, Declan Meredith will take over at flyhalf for his fourth Test appearance, while uncapped Harry McLaughlin-Phillips will provide cover from the bench.

Ben Donaldson Ruled Out Of Second Bledisloe Cup Test

Australia coach Les Kiss confirmed the decision after giving Donaldson an opportunity to test his fitness during Thursday’s training session. The team ultimately decided against risking the flyhalf, with four more Tests remaining after Saturday’s match.

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“We went into the session, gave ‘Donno’ a chance to see how that felt,” Kiss told reporters after naming his team on Thursday.