Richie Mo'unga gets a chance to live up to the hype after replacing Bledisloe Cup star Beauden Barrett in the All Blacks team to face Argentina in Nelson.
Coach Steve Hansen has made seven changes to the starting team that romped past Australia 40-12 in the second round of the Rugby Championship in Auckland two weeks ago.
The most glaring omission is brilliant five-eighth Barrett, who scored four tries at Eden Park in a trans-Tasman Test record haul of 30 points.
Hansen wants to assess the depth of his squad on Saturday, leaving out some of his most proven performers such as Barrett, halfback Aaron Smith, lock Sam Whitelock and flanker Sam Cane.
Mo'unga was a pivotal figure in the Crusaders' Super Rugby title defence, sparking calls then for him to oust Barrett.
However, the latter's blistering display in Auckland justified Hansen's pecking order.
"Test rugby is totally different to Super Rugby," Hansen said.
"It's not just the Canterbury fans who are going to be looking at him. It'll be everybody in the world. That brings its own pressure."
Hansen deliberately made Mo'unga the team waterboy against Australia to give him a sample of the big stage.
The lively playmaker will be outside halfback TJ Perenara, who usurps Smith for the first time in a year.
Jordie Barrett makes way in the back three, with Ben Smith shifted to fullback and injury-prone Nehe Milner-Skudder injected on the wing for his first Test in nearly a year.
Prop Karl Tu'inukuafe gets a maiden start in place of the injured Joe Moody while veteran Whitelock makes way for Scott Barrett.
Ardie Savea and rookie Shannon Frizell both get rare chances on either side of the scrum.
A Test debut awaits halfback Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, who is on the bench.
Hansen said the number of changes was in no way disrespectful to ninth-ranked Argentina.
"We've got a long season. If we don't play players from off the bench or the wider group then we're going to flatten the guys who play every week," he said.
"And if we don't play them, we don't grow them. The fact that we have very talented athletes makes it easier."
ALL BLACKS: Ben Smith, Nehe Milner-Skudder, Jack Goodhue, Ngani Laumape, Waisake Naholo, Richie Mo'unga, TJ Perenara, Kieran Read (capt), Ardie Savea, Shannon Frizell, Scott Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Owen Franks, Codie Taylor, Karl Tu'inukuafe. Res: Nathan Harris, Tim Perry, Ofa Tuungafasi, Sam Whitelock, Luke Whitelock, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Damian McKenzie, Anton Lienert-Brown.
