Wallabies star Jake Gordon will come off the bench as the NSW Waratahs unleash free-running halfback Teddy Wilson for a pivotal Super Rugby Pacific showdown with the Chiefs.
Coach Dan McKellar is adamant Gordon hasn't been dropped and will remain an influential second-half finisher as the Waratahs look to back up their season-saving win over the Brumbies in Canberra.
"It's all about rotation," McKellar said on Wednesday.
"An opportunity for Ted, who started a number of games for us last year.
"Jake's been excellent for us. Ted's been really good off the bench, so we've got two quality nines and making sure that we're not burning the candle at both ends with Jake."
Developing squad depth is a pressing matter for a side that has been incredibly inconsistent in their 2026 campaign, winning as many games as they've lost to this point.
And not just this campaign.
"You certainly need more than 15 good Super Rugby players to go deep into this competition," McKellar said.
The coach is impressed with the trajectory of 23-year-old Wilson, especially his running-game, and is eager to reward the up-and-comer's drive.
"He's an outstanding defender as well," McKellar said. "He's just fit, works incredibly hard. Defensively, he solves a lot of problems that a lot of people wouldn't see.
"The most pleasing thing with Ted has been his development of his core skill; kicking and passing game from where it's come in the last 12-18 months."
There's clearly some faith in the scrumhalf as McKellar trusts Wilson with the always difficult task of steering the Waratahs to a win in New Zealand.
The Waratahs snapped an eight-game losing streak with an upset victory against the then-ladder-leading Chiefs with a 21-14 win last year in Sydney.
Repeating that feat will be a lot tougher on the other side of the ditch but McKellar has had success there in the past, wins on two occasions at FMG Stadium Waikato during a five-year stint leading the Brumbies.
The game plan is simple for McKellar's men this time around.
"You've got to defend really well and understand that if you do defend well because of how they play, you'll get opportunity and attack," he said.
"But if you've fallen off tackles and get lazy on the inside, then they'll quickly run up a score."
