The All Blacks have made four changes to their starting line up to face France on Sunday, with Wyatt Crockett, Brodie Retallick, Richie McCaw and Julian Savea coming in.
The four replace Tony Woodcock, Luke Romano, Sam Cane and Waisake Naholo.
The 988 caps of experience present in the starting 15 make this the most experienced team in a RWC knockout match, and the second most in any RWC match after the All Blacks starting side against Argentina earlier in this tournament.
McCaw and Dan Carter are the only players in the match day 23 who played in the 20‑18 defeat by France in Cardiff at RWC 2007.
Kieran Read and Ma'a Nonu were the only players in the match day 23 who played in the 27‑22 defeat by France in Dunedin in 2009, the last time the All Blacks were defeated by France.
Nonu scored a try that day.
Captain McCaw will equal the record for most matches as captain at a Rugby World Cup with 11 currently held by Will Carling, Martin Johnson who are both from England, Raphael Ibañez from France and John Smit from South Africa.
Wales captain Sam Warburton will also equal this record in Saturday's opening quarter‑final.
Carter needs to score 18 points to join compatriot Andrew Mehrtens in fifth place on the all‑time RWC points list with 163.
Grant Fox is New Zealand's top Rugby World Cup scorer with 170.
The New Zealand lineup:
15 Ben Smith, 14 Nehe Milner‑Skudder, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Brodie Retallick, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Wyatt Crockett.
Replacements: 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 Joe Moody, 18 Charlie Faumuina, 19 Victor Vito, 20 Sam Cane, 21 Tawera Kerr‑Barlow, 22 Beauden Barrett, 23 Sonny Bill Williams.
The All Blacks will take on France at 7am Sunday.
Source: Planetrugby
