Ian Foster has outlined exactly what he wants to see from his less experienced players, as Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Stephen Perofeta prepare for their first test starts when the All Blacks face Japan in Tokyo on Saturday.
After naming a rotated side to take on the Brave Blossoms on Saturday evening, eyes were drawn to the All Blacks' selection in the No.12 and No.15 jerseys.
The duo of Tuivasa-Sheck and Stephen Perofeta will run out as starting All Blacks for the first time, having found game time hard to come by so far in 2022.
Despite the hype of his switch from the NRL back to rugby union, Tuivasa-Sheck has been limited to two cameos off the bench for the All Blacks, even overlooked for a start when there were no other midfield specialists available to face Australia at Eden Park.
Minutes have been even harder to come by for Perofeta, whose All Blacks career so far is measured in seconds after coming off the bench against Argentina in Christchurch.
But their teammates' absences and rotation against Japan will allow the pair to show their wares from the outset on Saturday, with Foster letting the duo know what's expected of them against the Brave Blossoms.
"It's a very clear message," Foster said. "Trust the work you've done, go out and execute, utilise the skills sets that you've got.
"They've been working hard, they're really clear about what they need to do.
"What I love is they've got a smile on their face. They're both really excited about the opportunity and have worked really, really hard for it.
"Now they've got to trust that work, take a deep breath when you go out on the park.
"The stadium's sold out - 65,000 people. It's going to be a pretty big occasion there.
"What better way to have your first start [then] in an arena like that?"
As far as Tuivasa-Sheck goes, Foster also made it clear his All Blacks future lies in midfield, despite his recent switch to the wing during the NPC.
The 29-year-old was moved to the outside backs by Auckland coach Alama Ieremia, as a means to prove his utility value.
And while Foster welcomes the ability of any of his backline players to play in more than one position, there was no temptation to roll the dice with Tuivasa-Sheck for Saturday's test.
"I was keen to play him at 12 this game," he continued. "He's trained a lot there through the Rugby Championship.
"We like what we saw with him on the wing, and like I said at the time - it's another string to his bow.
"The versatility of having a midfielder who can cover wing is pretty important.
"I've liked the decision to go and spend some time on the wing, but I also think he deserves a clean opportunity at 12."
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