New Zealand will receive a clearer indication of the preparation for its Rugby World Cup defence when it plays Argentina on Friday in the first match of this season's shortened Rugby Championship.
The All Blacks 25-16 win over Samoa 10 days ago in the first of five tests leading into the World Cup was unimpressive but excusable as a first step, with four new caps and immature combinations. Friday's test against a World Cup pool rival will be a much greater measure of New Zealand's progress toward the Cup as a form benchmark and selection guideline.
Neither team is at full strength and both are still engaged in selection experimentation in their last match before meeting at Twickenham on Sept. 21 in the first round of World Cup pool matches.
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has named a forward pack heavy with experience and close to full strength to combat the expected challenge of the powerful Pumas eight. His experimentation continues in the backline from which several leading players are still absent.
Hansen only a handful of changes to the team that played Samoa — four in the starting lineup and two more on the bench - while continuing to rest many of the 17 players who played for the Highlanders and Hurricanes in the Super Rugby final.
The backline, in which the Highlanders' prolific try-scoring winger Waisake Naholo will make his test debut, still has a makeshift cast. Veteran Ma'a Nonu returns in midfield, but front-liners such as Julian Savea, Aaron Smith, Ben Smith and Conrad Smith are still absent.
Naholo has an opportunity to stake his claim for the No. 14 jersey, one of the few positions in the All Blacks backline still up for grabs ahead of the World Cup. George Moala, also on debut, played in the position against Samoa and acquitted himself well but Naholo could claim the role if he can replicate Super Rugby form.
Hansen has given veteran Dan Carter another chance to start in the No. 10 jersey as he presses his claim to a World Cup berth. Carter's form over the past two seasons has been impeded by injury and irregular match play, but he showed a substantial improvement against Samoa, kicking seven goals from eight attempts for 20 points.
Some of his tactical kicking was off and he didn't always lead the All Blacks backline with assurance but Hansen is confident that the 33-year-old world record points scorer will continue to progress, given time.
"We had him going pretty well from an injury point of view until he got a smack on the leg against New South Wales," Hansen said. "He's kept going, and that resilience and persistence is something he's had for all of his career so he's starting to come back to be the player we know he can be."
Carter may still be third in the flyhalf pecking order behind Beauden Barrett and Colin Slade and Saturday's match will test whether he can rise further.
Argentina named an experienced lineup for the match, although they have also left several front-liners at home as they manage player workload in the World Cup buildup.
Juan Martin Hernandez, Tomas Lavanini, Pablo Matera, Leonardo Senatore, Felipe Ezcurra, Santiago Iglesias Valdez and Tomás Lezana are all absent but coach Daniel Hourcade still has a seasoned squad. The team for Friday features 12 changes from the one which beat the French Barbarians 21-9 in Argentina's most-recent match.
"There are players who are in a period of preparation and others that are carrying minor injuries and we prefer to not risk them," Hourcade said.
The Pumas say they will target the All Blacks scrum on Friday, as would be expected. But that might also be a double bluff as the Pumas backplay has developed considerably over the last two seasons of the Rugby Championship.
"The All Blacks are always tough in every area of the game and their scrum is one area that's very tough," veteran prop Marcos Ayerza said. "Owen Franks, Tony Woodcock, Keven Mealamu and Dane Coles are all very experienced, tough players in their position.
"I think the All Black scrum is very good. It will be a great test for ourselves to see how we are going. We will try to have a good contest there and build our game from there."
This content appears as provided to The Globe by the originating wire service. It has not been edited by Globe staff.