All Blacks coach Ian Foster has saluted No.8 Ardie Savea's decision to sit out the first Bledisloe Cup clash against the Wallabies, with his wife expecting their third child.
The back-rower has been a consistent performer in an otherwise inconsistent side this season, but New Zealand will be without their star player for the test at Melbourne on Thursday.
With No.6 Shannon Frizell also ruled out, as he nurses a rib injury, the All Blacks will boast a very new-look loose forward trio in the pair's absence, with only captain Sam Cane a certainty.
Waikato flanker Luke Jacobson has been called into the 33-man squad, and joins Akira Ioane, Dalton Papalii and Hoskins Sotutu as back-row options.
Foster has also used regular lock Scott Barrett in the No.6 jersey, whilst Tupou Vaa'i has previously slotted in the loose forwards for the Chiefs.
The All Blacks coach is excited by the opportunity to test new combinations, and has hailed Savea for staying in New Zealand with his wife, Saskia.
"He's a key leader, he's a key player but massively supportive of the decision and I think, if you look at the last two or three years, players have had to make some pretty tough choices with families," Foster said.
"It's great to be able to support him, Sas and their family and what he's doing he's got our blessing.
"We've sort of lost one and two, haven't we? We've tried to go over there with a squad of 33, and let a few guys stay here and play.
"We just feel we have got enough cover over there, we've got Scott, and we've also got Tupou who can also play No.6 and obviously a bit of flexibility with Dalton, so some good decisions to make.
"In the last two or three weeks, we've felt we needed to stick to combinations and try and grow our group and so, there'll be some changes and that's a great opportunity for us too."
Much like the All Blacks, the Wallabies have endured an inconsistent run of results, with their last being a heavy defeat to the Springboks.
But Foster is expecting an Australian backlash, and knows New Zealand will have to be at their best to retain the Bledisloe Cup.
"They've been a little up and down in their mind, but we always prepare to play a team at its best, and a lot of the games, they've played really, really well.
"They're certainly moving their game, moving the dial a bit in some of their set-piece, they've focused hard on their ball carries particularly.
"We know they're a passionate team over there, they never think of themselves as second best and we know they will go in very confident."
Join us at 9:45pm Thursday for live updates of the first All Blacks v Australia Bledisloe Cup test
