Lock Brad Thorn will mark 100 Super Rugby matches when he runs out for the Highlanders against the Sharks in Dunedin on Saturday night.
A dual rugby and league international, Thorn made his Super Rugby debut in 2001 and played 92 times for the Crusaders until the end of the 2011 competition.
He joined the Highlanders this season after a stint in Japan.
While the Highlanders are winless after eight games, coach Jamie Joseph praised the 38-year-old Thorn for what he had brought to the squad.
“Brad is a great player who brings a work ethic like no other,” he said.
“He’s a natural leader within our environment and he has added a massive amount to our leadership group this season.”
Thorn made 59 Test appearances for the All Blacks and was a member of the 2011 World Cup-winning squad.
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen, one of the assistants during the cup campaign, will present Thorn with a greenstone mere after the match against the Sharks.
The Highlanders are coming off a bye and Thorn is part of an unchanged starting pack.
There are four changes to the backline, among them the inclusion of Tamati Ellison, who hasn’t played since the All Blacks’ 2012 end-of-year tour.
Ellison, who had shoulder surgery over the summer, has made a quicker than expected return and will slot in at centre.
He will play outside Shaun Treeby, with Treeby coming in for Ma’a Nonu, who is out with a knee problem.
In other moves, Colin Slade is back at five-eighth, while midfield back Phil Burleigh fills in on the right wing.