Preview: NZ Maori v Japan
Undefeated: New Zealand Maori
With the All Blacks having a week off, attention switches to the Pacific Nations Cup match between Japan and the unbeaten New Zealand Maori in Napier on Saturday.
New Zealand Maori coach Donny Stevenson has embraced the surge in interest in his team this week and hopes his All Blacks candidate players can rise to the occasion.
While the hosts are strongly favoured to win, the heat goes on a handful of their players because of injury in the ranks of the national team.
A replacement will be named on Sunday for All Blacks captain Richie McCaw, the open-side flanker sidelined for about six weeks with an ankle ligament injury.
Among the leading options as his cover are uncapped Chiefs and Maori loose forwards Tanerau Latimer and Liam Messam.
The super-fit Latimer is an open-side specialist while Maori co-captain Messam is a dynamic and flexible operator, having shifted from blindside to number eight this week.
Both have a quality background in sevens rugby and have forged sound starts to their first class careers over the past two seasons.
Other Maori players in line for an All Blacks call-up ahead of their opening Tri-Nations against South Africa on July 5 are locks Ross Filipo and Jason Eaton.
A strong display from either could earn a call-up as cover for Ali Williams who, like McCaw, injured his ankle during last Saturday's second Test defeat of England.
Williams' injury is less serious but he could miss the first Tri-Nations match against South Africa in Wellington.
Stevenson described his team as "forgotten" through the early weeks of June so appreciated the interest generated by All Blacks selection permutations.
"We've had a bit of attention at training this week and it's something to actually get pretty excited about," Stevenson told NZPA.
"We can't hide from the fact that there's interest around the locks and loose forwards but rather than turn it into a distraction, we look at it as an opportunity.
"If they get the chance, they'll be jumping into it."
All Blacks coach Graham Henry and his fellow-selectors had reviewed footage of last week's 17-6 win over Samoa and were keen to watch the Maori again before adding to their squad for the Tri-Nations.
Stevenson believed the pressure would not get to Latimer and Messam, who had appeared focused through the week.
"We've got our own competition to worry about. If we're able to promote a Liam or a Tanerau or one of our locks, that'd be great. That is a role that we have as a team," Stevenson said.
Eaton may not get a chance to force his case as he is carrying a calf injury, leaving him bracketed with Isaac Ross.
There are six definite changes from the team who started against Samoa.
Zar Lawrence and Glen Horton take the wing berths of Hosea Gear and Shannon Paku, with Paku shifted to full-back in place of Dwayne Sweeney. Jason Kawau replaces Tim Bateman at centre.
In the front row, prop Jacob Ellison and hooker Aled de Malmanche come in for Keith Cameron and Hikawere Elliot respectively while Messam's shift sees number eight Thomas Waldrom benched and Hoani MacDonald injected on the blindside flank.
Meanwhile, Tomokazu Soma will captain Japan on Saturday.
The 31-year-old tighthead prop leads a side that shows 10 changes from the team beaten 24-12 by Fiji last week, as coach John Kirwan looks to rest a number of first-choice players ahead of next week's clash with Samoa in Apia.
Soma is joined in the front row by Yuta Inose and Taku Inokuchi, with the engine room manned by the Toyota Verblitz pair of Tomoaki Taniguchi and Toshizumi Kitagawa.
With regular skipper Takuro Miuchi given a well-deserved day-off following a superb performance against the Fijians, Ryu Koliniasi Holani will play at No. 8, with Hare Makiri moving from blindside to openside flanker.
Luke Thompson makes his first appearance for Japan since the World Cup after undergoing ankle surgery at the end of the regular season, though he finds himself wearing the number six jersey - a change from lock where he performed so admirably in France.
Behind the scrum, Kosuke Endo - who announced this week he would be playing for Canterbury in the upcoming Air New Zealand Cup - and James Arlidge are the only two survivors from last week's game.
Fly-half Arlidge is partnered by Tomoki Yoshida, with World Cup regulars Yuta Imamura and Shota Onishi returning in the centres, Christian Loamanu named on the left flank and Bryce Robins picked at fullback.
The seven-man bench has just 26 caps between them as Kirwan looks to blood a lot of youngsters with the 2011 World Cup in mind.
New Zealand Maori: 15 Shannon Paku, 14 Glen Horton, 13 Jason Kawau, 12 Tamati Ellison (co-captain), 11 Zar Lawrence, 10 Callum Bruce, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Liam Messam (co-captain), 7 Tanerau Latimer, 6 Hoani MacDonald, 5 Jason Eaton / Isaac Ross, 4 Ross Filipo, 3 Bronson Murray, 2 Aled de Malmanche, 1 Jacob Ellison.
Replacements: 16 Hikawera Elliot, 17 Keith Cameron, 18 Thomas Waldrom, 19 Scott Waldrom, 20 Chris Smylie, 21 Dwayne Sweeney, 22 Hosea Gear.
Japan: 15 Bryce Robins, 14 Kosuke Endo, 13 Yuta Imamura, 12 Shotaro Onishi, 11 Christian Loamanu, 10 James Arlidge, 9 Tomoki Yoshida, 8 Ryu Koliniasi Holani, 7 Hare Makiri, 6 Luke Thompson, 5 Toshizumi Kitagawa, 4 Tomoaki Taniguchi, 3 Tomokazu Soma, 2 Taku Inokuchi, 1 Yuta Inose.
Replacements: 16 Naonori Mizuyama, 17 Yosuke Ikegaya, 18 Koji Shinozuka, 19 Yoshitaka Nakayama, 20 Fumiaki Tanaka, 21 Shaun Webb, 22 Hiroki Yoshida.
Date: Saturday, June 28
Venue: McLean Park, Napier
Kick-off: 14:35
Referee: Carlo Damasco (Italy)
Assessor: Bob Francis (New Zealand)