Taranaki second-row Jarrad Hoeata is set to make his All Blacks debut against Fiji on Friday.
The 27-year-old looks likely to partner the returning 61-test lock Ali Williams as New Zealand take on Fiji in a one-off Tri-Nations warm-up test in Dunedin.
The 6ft 6in lock was selected for the New Zealand’s Tri-Nations squad following an impressive 2011 Super Rugby season with Highlanders, after which he was tipped as a future All Black.
Hoeata played for the New Zealand Maori in the 2010 Centenary Series, winning three starts in three games.