Wallabies coach Les Kiss has full faith in centre Isaac Henry to handle the pressure of the Bledisloe Cup and playing at Eden Park.
Henry will start for the third time at Test level on Saturday, suiting up for the series opener at Eden Park, where the Wallabies last won in 1986.
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He replaces Queensland Reds teammate Hunter Paisami, ruled out due to a suspension picked up during the win over South Africa.
The 27-year-old started against Japan and Argentina after debuting earlier in the year in Osaka.
With the Wallabies hunting to end a 23-year drought without the Bledisloe Cup, Kiss is backing his hard-running centre.
“He’s earned it. A quality person, first and foremost. An exceptional team-mate and a team-first person," Kiss told media in Auckland.
“He works hard in his craft and he just happens to be bloody talented too so it's a good combination...He can play 12, 13. He's quite dynamic, as is Lenny, and having someone from Lenny's ilk and experience is very helpful as well. So [the message is] just be yourself and back your skill sets.
"He knows how to work out our structure or the way we play and knows that inside out, so he'll be fine.
“I’m really pleased for him and he’s ready.”
The move lets Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii stay on the wing, partnering with Max Jorgensen after a successful debut in the position.
Suaalii and Len Ikitau have been the most common centre pairing of the past four years, but Kiss was keen to further exploit the aerial benefits out of the towering superstar.
“We know he can jump back into the midfield during the game; that's a big thing. It's a shame to lose Hunter, but we know Zach has really done well in the opportunities he's had and he's impressed in training so that's a fairly simple decision in the end," the coach remarked.
“We just want to persist with that continuity of that back three and see how that can go for another week, for sure. We know that aerial game is pretty important and both Max [Jorgensen] and Joseph did very well last week.
“I've no doubt it's going to be important again so fingers crossed that works.”
