Sonny Bill Williams expects he won't be at his best when he runs out for the All Blacks, saying the road back to peak performance is a long one.
Williams will start his 20th Test but his first since August 2012 when he faces the United States in Chicago on Saturday.
He has an unfamiliar midfield partner in centre Ryan Crotty but is comforted by the presence of former Chiefs team-mate Aaron Cruden at five-eighth.
The Test at Soldier Field marks a rapid-fire transition back from rugby league, having played his last match of his two-season NRL stint for the Sydney Roosters just five weeks ago.
"I'm still trying to find my feet. I'm pleased with the start but there's still a lot of hard work to go," he said.
"The game is a very special occasion but for me it's just awesome being back."
Williams, 29, says it shouldn't take as long to establish himself in the 15-man code as when he first departed rugby league six years ago.
On that occasion he had domestic seasons in both France and New Zealand before earning a Test callup.
His buildup this time comprises a couple of weeks' training and two bench appearances for Counties Manukau last month followed by an intense week under All Blacks coach Steve Hansen.
"I forgot how professional and how demanding it is and it's really refreshing," Williams said.
"The thing that is a lot better than last time is instincts.
"I don't feel lost out there on the field. We've got pretty good structures in place around the All Blacks."
Hansen this week described Williams as a freakish athlete who "could become one of the very best we have ever had".
Williams played down the comment, saying he wants to put in a solid outing to repay the selectors and hoped the All Blacks could play an attacking brand in front of a large US audience.
He says he has enjoyed the non-rugby elements of the week, particularly watching a professional ice hockey game with his teammates on Tuesday.
That experience could prove useful for the All Blacks, who are set to play in wintry conditions after flurries of snow hit the city on Friday.
