Dane Coles will play his 50th Test and is the only change to the All Blacks’ starting side who will try to lock away the Bledisloe Cup for another year in Dunedin.
Hooker Coles returns from a head knock on Saturday in place of Codie Taylor after missing last week’s rollicking 54-34 win in Sydney as a precaution.
Coach Steve Hansen has otherwise stuck with the starting side who raced 48 points clear in 48 minutes before seemingly clocking off over the last 30 minutes.
Coles becomes the fourth member of the current first-choice tight five to play a half-century of Tests. Prop Joe Moody is no rookie on 30.
The forwards boast 483 Tests between them, with Sam Whitelock set to become the first All Blacks lock to raise 90 caps.
Taylor takes the reserve bench spot of Nathan Harris while there are two injury-enforced changes among the tight-five backups.
Prop Wyatt Crockett (head) and lock Luke Romano (foot) make way for one-Test loosehead Kane Hames and Scott Barrett respectively.
Sonny Bill Williams has been cleared to play by medical staff despite being dazed early in the Sydney Test.
Fullback Damian McKenzie and blindside flanker Liam Squire are retained, having justified their Sydney selections with standout attacking performances.
It means regular fullback Ben Smith starts again on the right wing in what will be his last match of 2017 before taking a sabbatical.
Hansen expects the outside backs to be busy in a Test which is again likely to be high tempo under the Forsyth Barr Stadium’s roof.
“We should see a high-speed game, which should suit both teams and create an entertaining match,” he said.
“Whilst we were very happy with the way we played for periods of the game in the first Test, there were also moments where we weren’t so crash hot.”
Victory or a draw will extend New Zealand’s Bledisloe Cup reign since reclaiming the silverware in 2003.
A loss will set up a decider in Brisbane on October 21.
NEW ZEALAND: Damian McKenzie, Ben Smith, Ryan Crotty, Sonny Bill Williams, Rieko Ioane, Beauden Barrett, Aaron Smith, Kieran Read (capt), Sam Cane, Liam Squire, Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Owen Franks, Dane Coles, Joe Moody. RESERVES: Codie Taylor, Kane Hames, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Scott Barrett, Ardie Savea, TJ Perenara, Lima Sopoaga, Anton Lienert-Brown.
