Fullback Beauden Barrett will captain the All Blacks for the first time as coach Dave Rennie made ten changes to the side to play Wales on Saturday.
The All Blacks will be looking for the full five points when they face Wales at Principality Stadium in Cardiff in Round Five of the Nations Championship.
Barrett will captain the All Blacks in a Test for the first time, in his 149th Test. Loose forward Anton Segner and wing Fehi Fineanganofo will both make their first Test starts, Segner in his fifth Test and Fineanganofo in his second.
The team includes ten changes to the match-day 23 that played Scotland in round four of the Nations Championship last weekend, eight of them in the starting side.
Prop George Bower, hooker Asafo Aumua, Segner and halfback Cortez Ratima move from the reserves into the starting side, while lock Josh Lord, flyhalf Richie Mo’unga, midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown and Fineanganofo come into the team.
Hooker George Bell, prop Xavier Numia, lock Jamie Hannah, loose forwards Ethan Blackadder and Leicester Fainga’anuku, and halfback Kyle Preston join prop Pasilio Tosi and outside back Rieko Ioane in the reserves.
“Beauden brings such valuable experience and is massively respected by us all. Captaining the All Blacks in a Test is an honour that I know he doesn’t take lightly, so it’ll be a proud day for him,” Rennie told allblacks.com.
“We have created good depth in this group and there is a lot of competition for places. We have selected a strong side with 783 caps.
“Wales are a proud rugby nation and building nicely under Steve Tandy. We are well aware of the threat they pose and the challenge of playing in front of a passionate crowd at Principality Stadium.”
New Zealand – 15 Beauden Barrett (c), 14 Fehi Fineanganofo, 13 Quinn Tupaea, 12 Anton Lienert-Brown, 11 Josh Moorby, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Cortez Ratima, 8 Wallace Sititi, 7 Peter Lakai, 6 Anton Segner, 5 Josh Lord, 4 Scott Barrett, 3 Fletcher Newell, 2 Asafo Aumua, 1 George Bower.
Replacements: 16 George Bell, 17 Xavier Numia, 18 Pasilio Tosi, 19 Jamie Hannah, 20 Ethan Blackadder, 21 Leicester Fainga’anuku, 22 Kyle Preston, 23 Rieko Ioane.
