The All Blacks have resisted the urge to hit the panic button, making only three starting changes for the all-or-nothing Bledisloe Cup showdown with the Wallabies at Eden Park on Saturday.
Calls for change were widespread in the wake of the All Blacks’ 27-19 loss in Sydney last week but Ma’a Nonu’s return for the injured Sonny Bill Williams, Sam Whitelock’s recall at lock alongside Brodie Retallick and Victor Vito’s promotion on the blindside are the only starting tweaks.
That means electric Hurricanes finisher Nehe Milner-Skudder gets a second crack on the right wing, holding off Cory Jane after two tries on debut, and Dan Carter retains his spot to equal Welsh legend Steven Jones’ record of 88 Test starts at five-eighth.
After an out-of-sorts display in Sydney, Carter needs to silence the doubts and regain his poise.
Captain Richie McCaw will also, of course, surpass Ireland’s Brian O’Driscoll and stand alone as the most capped player in Test history, making his 142nd appearance.
In line with recent history, All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has kept the faith and granted those who failed to perform last week a chance to atone. A response won’t be expected so much as demanded.
Interestingly, the front-row gets a reprieve. Owen Franks and Tony Woodcock are sure to be smarting after being pushed around by a traditionally over-powered Wallabies pack.
Another standout performance from Milner-Skudder may be enough to book his spot on the plane to England but, overall, Vito has the most to gain.
With Liam Messam overlooked and Jerome Kaino dropping to the bench, Vito must prove he deserves inclusion in the World Cup squad. This, his first Test start since November, is the last chance to do just that.
Much has been made of how the All Blacks have been outplayed by the Wallabies and Springboks in the all-important breakdown battle and while Vito starts, Kaino and Sam Cane’s presence on the bench offers an insurance policy of sorts.
With no specialist lock cover in the reserves, Vito will presumably be asked to step in there if required too. Such a task could enhance his World Cup prospects but he must also match the physicality Kaino usually brings.
In the back line Nonu returns from a shoulder injury to form the trusty midfield firm with Conrad Smith, though it would not surprise to see Malakai Fekitoa get an extended run at centre later in the match.
In other changes to the bench, hooker Keven Mealamu replaces Codie Taylor, prop Wyatt Crockett comes in for Ben Franks and Colin Slade takes over from Beauden Barrett.
No doubt the All Blacks will be on edge, keen to preserve their 37-match unbeaten home record at fortress Eden Park, where they have not lost since 1994 and not against the Wallabies there since 1986.
If that’s not enough, there’s also the fact they’ve held the coveted Bledisloe Cup since 2003.
“This game is one of the best challenges we could have,” Hansen said. “We pride ourselves on our performance and last week’s wasn’t good enough, so we have been working hard at all areas of our game. We know we have to be smarter, more accurate and bring more intensity right across the park.
“It’s also our last test match in New Zealand for the year so it’s important that we deliver a performance that we can be proud of in front of our home fans.
“Finally, I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the All Blacks to publicly acknowledge Richie’s achievement in becoming the most capped test player in the history of the game. His performances week-in, week-out in the black jersey have been nothing short of extraordinary.”
Meanwhile, Jane and James Broadhurst have been released for Wellington and Taranaki’s NPC match on Saturday. Matt Todd and Patrick Osborne will also turn out for Canterbury against Otago.
All Blacks: Ben Smith, Nehe Milner-Skudder, Conrad Smith, Ma’a Nonu, Julian Savea, Dan Carter, Aaron Smith, Kieran Read, Richie McCaw, Victor Vito, Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Owen Franks, Dane Coles, Tony Woodcock
Reserves: Keven Mealamu, Wyatt Crockett, Nepo Laulala, Jerome Kaino, Sam Cane, TJ Perenara, Colin Slade, Malakai Fekitoa
