Star All Blacks fly-half Dan Carter will be left on the bench for Friday’s Tri-Nations warm-up match against Fiji.
Carter joins a number of rested key players including Jerome Kaino and Kieran Read.
The Canterbury and Crusaders kicker, 29, is replaced by utility-back Colin Slade, who wins his first All Blacks start at number 10.
The teams last met in 2005, when New Zealand overwhelmed Fiji with a score of 91-0.
New Zealand launch their Tri-Nations campaign against South Africa on 30th July.