Lock Brodie Retallick has returned for the All Blacks in arguably their strongest side for Saturday's World Cup quarter-final against Ireland in Tokyo.
The three-times world champions gave squad players and those returning from injury some game time and trialled combinations against Canada and Namibia but were unable to field their top side against Italy after the match was cancelled due to Typhoon Hagibis.
The only change to the pack that opened their campaign against South Africa with a 23-13 victory in Yokohama was the selection of Retallick after he returned on 6 October against Namibia after two months out with a dislocated shoulder.
Retallick played 30 minutes in Tokyo before being substituted to manage his playing time but was unable to get more minutes into his legs ahead of the quarter-finals when their final pool match was scrapped.
"He will go for as long as we want him to," said head coach Steve Hasnsen. "He has a big motor and there are no question marks about his fitness. And we have Scott Barrett on the bench, a very good player."
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Ryan Crotty, who started the South Africa game, has been replaced by Jack Goodhue in the midfield with Anton Lienert-Brown playing inside centre.
Captain Kieran Read, who was rested for the Namibia game, returns at number eight to lead the side in his 125th test, while the dual playmaker axis of Beauden Barrett at fullback and Richie Mo'unga at flyhalf has been reinstated.
Barrett's younger brother Jordie made his first test start at out-half against Namibia and scored 21 points but has dropped to the bench.
Five of the forwards - Read, Retallick, Ardie Savea, hooker Codie Taylor and Sam Whitelock - have been retained from the starting lineup from their 16-9 loss against Joe Schmidt's side last November.
Scrum-half Smith, Beauden Barrett, who played out-half, and centre Goodhue are the only survivors from the starting backline for that game, which was the first time Ireland had beaten New Zealand in Dublin.
"We were in the good position of having all 31 players to consider," said Steve Hansen. "It was a case of having more players good enough to start than leave out. The likes of Ryan Crotty and Ben Smith are not in the 23, but that does not mean it will be the case in the next game, if we get to that stage.
"I am really comfortable with the group we have gone with. I am not thinking that it may be my last match with the All Blacks. That is not important and it is something to reflect on only when our tournament is over. All I am focused on is an important international against a good side.
"Ireland are probably feeling it is their turn to win one. That does not guarantee they will. I bumped into Andy Farrell [Ireland's backs coach] on Wednesday and we talked about the fact that one of us will be going home after the match.
"It is the cold reality at this stage of a World Cup. Ireland know what it is like to go home at this stage, as I do, and they will be doing their darnedest to ensure it does not happen again. So will we. I just hope that it is an exciting game of rugby that is not affected by cards and that at the end of it no one has any excuses, taking defeat on the chin."
New Zealand: Beauden Barrett; Sevu Reece, Jack Goodhue, Anton Lienert-Brown, George Bridge; Richie Mo'unga, Aaron Smith; Kieran Read (captain), Sam Cane, Ardie Savea; Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick; Nepo Laulala, Codie Taylor, Joe Moody.
Replacements: Dane Coles, Ofa Tuungafasi, Angus Ta'avao, Scott Barrett, Matt Todd, TJ Perenara, Sonny Bill Williams, Jordie Barrett
Meanwhile, England have sprung a major surprise for their World Cup quarter-final against Australia by dropping George Ford and naming Owen Farrell at fly-half.
Ford has been superb as playmaker-in-chief since his restoration at 10 during the warm-up series for Japan and started all three group games in the position, but he is confined to a bench role for the Oita Stadium showdown.
Instead, Farrell will pull the strings as coach Eddie Jones reverts to his first choice midfield from the Six Nations, in which England's captain played inside centres Henry Slade and Manu Tuilagi.
The decision has shades of the World Cup four years ago when Ford was dropped for the pivotal group game against Wales in favour of Farrell, who on that occasion formed a heavyweight trio alongside Sam Burgess and Brad Barrett.
Jones has made three changes in personnel and two positional switches in pursuit of a semi-final against either New Zealand or Ireland.
Mako Vunipola is restored at loosehead prop after successfully making his latest comeback from a hamstring injury against Argentina, England's last outing after their Pool C finale against France was cancelled due to Typhoon Hagibis.
Vunipola's return means Joe Marler drops down to the bench where he joins second row George Kruis, who has lost his place in the starting XV to Courtney Lawes.
The two positional switches are Farrell's shift to fly-half and Tuilagi's move from outside to inside-centre.
Follow Ireland v New Zealand on Saturday 19 October (kick-off 11.15am) via the live blog on RTÉ.ie/Sport and the News Now App, watch live on RTÉ2 or listen to live match commentary on RTÉ Radio 1.
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Follow all four Rugby World Cup quarter-finals this weekend via our live blogs on RTE.ie/Sport and the News Now app, or watch live on RTÉ2.
