All Blacks first-five Beauden Barrett will captain the national side for the first time against the Barbarians at Twickenham on Sunday (NZ time).
The 26-year-old from Taranaki was promoted in the absence of regular skipper Kieran Read, who will join the team next week, and regular vice-captain Ben Smith, who's on a sabbatical.
Coach Steve Hansen thinks it's a great opportunity for Barrett to work on his captaincy skills and also shake off some potential rust.
"We need a leader and it's a good opportunity for him to lead," said Hansen. "He needs a game, he hasn't played for four or five weeks, so we might as well start him and we'll know where he's at."
Veteran loose-forward Jerome Kaino will make his first All Blacks appearance since the third Test against the British and Irish Lions, starting at No. 8, with Vaea Fifita on the blindside flank.
The three new caps - winger Matt Duffie, hooker Asafo Aumua and prop Tim Perry - will all get their first taste of All Blacks rugby off the bench, after only spending a week in camp in London.
"Preferably, you'd want to give them a couple of weeks, before you even look like putting them into the team, but this Baa Baas game suits having those types of boys in the side," said Hansen.
There's been plenty of hype surrounding Aumua, ever since his barnstorming performances at the Under-20 World Championship earlier this year, but Hansen's trying to keep a lid on expectations for the exciting hooker.
"If we're being honest, he's probably overwhelmed by it all. There's a lot that we've got to help him with, and we'll do that nice and slowly.
"Don't expect too much from him."
After more than a year out of the squad, Seta Tamanivalu will start on the left-wing, where he made a big impression in his debut season with the Crusaders.
The 25-year-old has certainly impressed Hansen, after shifting position from centre to the wing.
"He's good aerially, he's a good ball carrier and he seems to be more comfortable there defensively."
Openside flanker Matt Todd wasn't considered, due to his groin injury, meaning Ardie Savea will start in the No 7 jersey, where he'll come up against older brother Julian, who'll likely be on the wing for the Barbarians.
Often billed as a "festival match", Hansen still thinks there'll be plenty of intensity on Sunday morning, with 13 New Zealanders in the opposition squad.
"This will be a tough game, I'm picking. It's like a New Zealand trial, so everyone will have plenty to say about it.
"It'll give us a good gauge of where they're at - 70,000 people expected to be there so a big atmosphere... how they cope with that."
All Blacks squad to face Barbarians: 1. Kane Hames, 2. Nathan Harris, 3. Ofa Tu'ungafasi, 4. Luke Romano, 5. Scott Barrett, 6. Vaea Fifita, 7. Ardie Savea, 8. Jerome Kaino, 9. TJ Perenara, 10. Beauden Barrett (c), 11. Seta Tamanivalu, 12. Ngani Laumape, 13. Anton Lienert-Brown, 14. Waisake Naholo, 15. David Havili
Reserves: 16. Asafo Aumua, 17. Tim Perry, 18. Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, 19. Patrick Tuipulotu, 20. Sam Cane, 21. Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 22. Lima Sopoaga, 23. Matt Duffie
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