A revved-up Dane Coles will play his 50th Test and his first of the year when the All Blacks try to lock away the Bledisloe Cup for another year in Dunedin.
Hooker Coles returns from a head knock for Saturday's Test in place of Codie Taylor in the only starting change from last week's rollicking 54-34 win over Australia in Sydney.
Coach Steve Hansen has otherwise stuck with the starting side who raced 48 points clear in 48 minutes before seemingly clocking off over the last 30 minutes.
Coles hasn't played a Test for nine months, having spent most of 2017 battling concussion symptoms. He has had just 90 minutes of field time for the Hurricanes since lingering symptoms began in mid-March.
"Champ's back. He's been out for a long time and he's raring to go," Hansen said.
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"He's one of the best hookers in the world, if not the best, and we're looking forward to seeing him back."
Coles becomes the fourth member of the current first-choice tight five to play a half-century of Tests. Prop Joe Moody is no rookie on 30.
Taylor takes the reserve bench spot of Nathan Harris while there are two injury-enforced changes among the tight-five backups.
Prop Wyatt Crockett (head) and lock Luke Romano (foot) make way for one-Test loosehead Kane Hames and Scott Barrett respectively.
Sonny Bill Williams has been cleared to play by medical staff despite being dazed early in the Sydney Test.
Fullback Damian McKenzie and blindside flanker Liam Squire are retained, having justified their Sydney selections with stand-out attacking performances.
It means regular fullback Ben Smith starts again on the right wing in what will be his last match of 2017 before taking a sabbatical.
Hansen expects the outside backs to be busy in a Test which is again likely to be high tempo under the Forsyth Barr Stadium's roof.
However, he is also anticipating a response from the Wallabies, who shifted up a gear with four tries in the second half in Sydney.
"Most of those guys hadn't played for five or six weeks, which might have been why they were slow out of the blocks," he said.
"They'll be a lot sharper in everything they do mentally and physically. They'll be hurting, so they'll be hungry and desperate."
Victory or a draw will extend New Zealand's Bledisloe Cup reign since reclaiming the silverware in 2003.
A loss will set up a decider in Brisbane on October 21.
NEW ZEALAND: Damian McKenzie, Ben Smith, Ryan Crotty, Sonny Bill Williams, Rieko Ioane, Beauden Barrett, Aaron Smith, Kieran Read (capt), Sam Cane, Liam Squire, Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Owen Franks, Dane Coles, Joe Moody. RESERVES: Codie Taylor, Kane Hames, Ofa Tu'ungafasi, Scott Barrett, Ardie Savea, TJ Perenara, Lima Sopoaga, Anton Lienert-Brown.
