Centurion-to-be Kieran Read has been admired since day one of his captaincy for taking the All Blacks down a different pathway to that forged by Richie McCaw.

Now his teammates hope the Read way is the right way ahead of their biggest Test outside a Rugby World Cup.

Read’s silver 100th cap will be awarded after the third and final Test against the British and Irish Lions in Auckland on Saturday.

The milestone is being virtually ignored by the world champions, whose focus is on atoning for last week’s three-point loss in Wellington which has sent the series to a decider.

However, it hasn’t stopped them talking this week about the 31-year-old’s mana since succeeding McCaw after the 2015 World Cup.

First five-eighth Aaron Cruden, whose 50th Test looms off the bench on Saturday, said players couldn’t help but be inspired by their skipper’s natural mix of authoritative yet inclusive leadership.

“He obviously had big shoes to fill with the previous skipper,” Cruden said.

“One thing I think all the boys really admire about Reado is that he’s made that role his own, he hasn’t tried to be anyone else, he knows exactly who he is and what he stands for.

“You can see that in the way he plays and conducts himself.

“You want a guy you know is going to put his body on the line week in and week out, live the standards that are needed.”

Coach Steve Hansen pointed to the calibre of New Zealand’s six centurions to best acknowledge Read’s status.

McCaw (148 Tests), leads from five others who all retired in 2015 – Keven Mealamu, Tony Woodcock, Dan Carter and Ma’a Nonu. Mils Muliaina retired four years earlier.

Just behind Read in the current team are two more Crusaders forwards, Owen Franks (93 caps) and Sam Whitelock (87).

“There’s not many of them but they’re all in their own right, world class players in their time,” Hansen said.

“There hasn’t been a lot of talk about it (100th Test). It’s hardly been raised actually.

“That’s the mark of the man himself.”

It is a third chance for Read to lock horns with classy Lions No.8 Toby Faletau, who is a contender for their player of the tour.

Faletau is set to be the only Lion to finish the tour with six starts.

His tour-leading time on field of 400 minutes comes from starting and finishing every Saturday fixture, underlining the athletic Welshman’s status in the tour party.