New Zealand arrived on their tour of Europe with 12 of a 26-strong squad yet to make their international debuts but all will return home with caps.
John Mitchell has made eight changes from the side that drew in Paris last week for Saturday's match against Wales at the Millennium Stadium, bringing in all five of the uncapped players remaining.
He denied that he was taking Wales lightly. "I stated at the start of the tour that all the players would start at least one Test," said the coach. "The only way you find out about players is in the heat of battle and we have learned a lot already.
"It is not a mark of disrespect to Wales, a side which is gaining in confidence. The All Blacks never take an opponent lightly and everyone on this tour was chosen because of the form they had shown this year. The team was chosen not just with Wales in mind but also the next 12 months." Four of the uncapped players are in the pack, which can boast only 61 caps in total - 50 of them held by the captain Taine Randell - while the Wales second- row Gareth Llewellyn has 70.
New Zealand lost to England and drew with France but Mitchell said he would not regard the tour as a failure if the squad returned home on Sunday without a victory.
"We should be judged on performances, not results," he said. "Anyone who thinks this is a weak team did not watch any of New Zealand's national provincial championship earlier this year. The whole point of bringing so many new faces on this tour was to have a look at them and that is what we are doing."
Wales, who have not beaten the All Blacks since 1953, name their side tomorrow and it is likely to include the 25-year old Pontypridd centre Sonny Parker, a New Zealander who was in the Auckland squad in 1998 when he joined the Italian club Viadana after breaking a leg and qualifies by three years' residency.
"The Auckland coach at the time was Graham Henry and he advised me to go to Italy to regain my match fitness," said Parker. "He then became the coach of Wales and through him I joined Pontypridd, a decision I have never had cause to regret."
When Henry returned to New Zealand he was replaced by Steve Hansen. "I know Steve very well," said the New Zealand coaching co-ordinator Robbie Deans, who worked with Hansen in Canterbury. "He thinks outside the square and is a progressive, positive coach who is prepared to take risks to succeed. I have no doubt that he will have something up his sleeve."
Hansen's side is almost unrecognisable from the one put out by Henry a year ago with a number of senior players having retired from international rugby. Only three of the 10 Lions who toured Australia under Henry last year are likely to feature on Saturday.
The Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan returned to the players who beat the world champions Australia two weeks ago when he named his team to face Argentina this weekend. In one change to the side that enjoyed the 18-9 victory over the Wallabies,Justin Bishop, who played well in Sunday's 64-17 win against Fiji, won the battle to fill the left-wing spot left vacant by the injury to Denis Hickey.
New Zealand: Blair; Howlett, King, Umaga, Lomu; Mehrtens, Devine; Woodcock, Mealamu, Hayman, K Robinson, Williams, Randell (capt), Braid, So'oialo. Replacements: Hore, Meeuws, Mika, Holah, Lee, Steinmetz, M Robinson.
Ireland: Dempsey; Horgan, B O'Driscoll (capt), Maggs, Bishop; O'Gara, Stringer; Corrigan, Byrne, Hayes, Longwell, O'Kelly, Costello, Gleeson, Foley. Replacements: Sheahan, Horan, Cullen, Quinlan, G Easterby, Humphreys, Murphy.
France : Brusque; Clerc, Castaignède, Traille, Bory; Merceron, Galthié (capt); Crenca, Ibanez, De Villiers, Pelous, Brouzet, Betsen, Magne, Harinordoquy. Replacements: Rue, Marconnet, Privat, Chabal, Yachvili, Gelez, Garbajosa.
