All Blacks coach Ian Foster hasn't held back on sweeping changes for the fourth Bledisloe Cup test in Brisbane, with four debutants in the squad for Saturday's clash.
Among the forwards, one of those. Akira Ioane makes his test debut at blindside flanker.
Just a year ago, the talented ball-runner thought that moment might never come.
After first wearing the All Blacks jersey against a French XV three years ago, Ioane fell out of favour under Steve Hansen. Unfit and out of shape, Ioane contemplated throwing away the game altogether.
"I wasn't in the right headspace and I felt like giving up rugby, so that was a pretty dark point in my life," Ioane says of his previous doubts.
"After I said that, my dad gave me a boot up the bum and gave me the hard word, and asked me if I actually wanted to do a 9-5 job."
Ioane quickly realised his future belonged on the rugby park and with his family as a sounding board, he turned his fortunes around with stellar performances for Auckland and the Blues.
Brother Rieko was the ear he needed at his lowest point.
"He's been a big reason why I've sort of got back into shape and started playing the rugby I have been."
Admitting he needed to grow up was a sign of how far the older Ioane has come over the last three years and it's something Foster feels has contributed to his first shot at test rugby.
"It's easy to go away, and for players to sulk and get disgruntled when they don't get what they want, but the reality is the only thing they can control is the way they go about preparing and performing," Foster says.
Ioane will have the chance to complete his career turnaround with a high-quality performance against the Wallabies in Brisbane on Saturday night.
Join us at 9:45pm Saturday for live updates of the All Blacks v Wallabies Bledisloe IV test
