Wednesday 15 July 2015 11:48, UK
The All Blacks pack has another chance to shake out the cobwebs while a potentially game-breaking combination will be blooded in midfield when New Zealand begin their Rugby Championship campaign against Argentina on Friday.
Mindful the World Cup opener against the Pumas at Wembley Stadium is just over two months away, coach Steve Hansen has stuck with close to his best pack to take on the combative visiting forwards at Rugby League Park in Christchurch.
It is the backline, however, that creates the most interest with Ma'a Nonu, arguably in the form of his life at inside centre, switching to the number 13 shirt to allow code-swapper Sonny Bill Williams to slot in inside him, reversing the roles from the last three times they have played together.
They will provide an immense punch in the midfield to counteract Argentina's rushing defence, with Nonu's straight running likely to benefit from his partner's ability to off-load in the tackle.
Attention will also be focused on debutant winger Waisake Naholo, who has impressed with a storming Super Rugby season and could be a trump card in the World Cup if he can step up to Test level.
Hansen marked Friday's Test as a "must win", dismissing talk that the world's top-ranked side are more concerned with building for the World Cup.
Following a sluggish performance against Samoa last week when the New Zealanders struggled to a 25-16 victory - by far their smallest winning margin against the Pacific islanders - Hansen called for immediate improvement.
"If you don't play well in a Test match it hurts. We didn't play well in our last one so it's been reasonably hurtful and this is our first opportunity to fix it," he said after naming six changes to his match-day 23 on Wednesday.
Only four of 17 All Blacks squad members from the Highlanders and Hurricanes, who played in the Super Rugby final less than two weeks ago, have been called up.
Notable absentees include the three Smiths - the Highlanders' Ben and Aaron and the Hurricanes' Conrad - but Hansen said the selectors "certainly haven't compromised on the quality of the team".
He said: "There has been a lot of talk about the Rugby World Cup and so forth, but this Test match is all about the here and now.
"It's important that we get away to a really good start in the Rugby Championship. We will need to get points early if we are going to give ourselves a chance of winning the Championship."
Hansen said some players needed to be rested after an exhausting Super Rugby season while others need more game time to prove themselves, singling out full-back Israel Dagg, who has been injured for much of the year and looked rusty against Samoa.
"It's a big ask to be able to come back from no rugby and play Test rugby but we have no other options if we want to get him back into the level of performance he can produce. We've got to play him," said Hansen.
The one change in the starting pack sees current world player of the year Brodie Retallick replacing lock Sam Whitelock.
Fly-half Dan Carter and captain Richie McCaw will be playing their final Tests in front of their home Canterbury crowd, although there will be precious little sentiment if the All Blacks manage to lose their first game to the Pumas in their 21st encounter.
New Zealand: 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Waisake Naholo, 13 Ma'a Nonu, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 11 Charles Piutau, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 TJ Perenara; 1 Tony Woodcock, 2 Keven Mealamu, 3 Owen Franks, 4 Luke Romano, 5 Brodie Retallick, 6 Jerome Kaino, 7 Richie McCaw, 8 Kieran Read.
Replacements: 16 Codie Taylor, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Nepo Laulala, 19 Jeremy Thrush, 20 Liam Messam, 21 Andy Ellis, 22 Colin Slade, 23 Ryan Crotty.
Watch New Zealand v Argentina live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 8am on Friday.
