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Auckland -Star playmaker Dan Carter was the highest-profile omission in an injury-affected All Blacks team named Thursday for the First Test against France at Eden Park on Saturday.
Carter was ruled out after cracking a bone in his hand last week, while scrum-half Piri Weepu (concussion) and veteran prop Tony Woodcock (hamstring) also missed out.
With Richie McCaw still taking a break from rugby, coach Steve Hansen installed Kieran Read as captain for the first meeting between New Zealand and France since the All Blacks won the World Cup final at the same venue in 2011.
Prop Ben Afeaki and lock Jeremy Thrush were the only new caps in a match-day squad featuring 377 Test caps and will both start from the bench.
Hansen conceded the All Blacks' build-up had been disrupted by injuries and said the New Zealanders could not afford to take France lightly.
"We all know how the French can play," he said.
"The only predictable thing about them is their unpredictability, so we will have to be ready for whatever they throw at us."
Hansen drafted in Aaron Cruden to replace Carter at fly-half and named Aaron Smith in Weepu's number nine role.
Wyatt Crockett steps in for Woodcock while hooker Dane Coles gets his first run-on start in his fifth Test ahead of Keven Mealamu on the bench.
Teams:New Zealand:
15 Israel Dagg, 14 Ben Smith, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Aaron Cruden, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Kieran Read (captain), 7 Sam Cane, 6 Liam Messam, 5 Brodie Retallick, 4 Luke Romano, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Wyatt Crockett
Substitutes: 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 Ben Franks, 18 Ben Afeaki, 19 Jeremy Thrush, 20 Victor Vito, 21 Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 22 Beauden Barrett, 23 Rene Ranger
France:
TBA
