Richie Mo'unga's mainly cameo appearances for the All Blacks are over with his selection in the No10 jersey against Japan in Tokyo, so now he has to get used to doing things a different way.
That's not to say he won't be used off the bench against England at Twickenhamnext week, though, and the same goes for Dane Coles, the All Blacks' starting hooker at Ajinomoto Stadium tomorrow.
The pair are probably the only players likely to back up again next week in London for the highly-anticipated test against Eddie Jones' men.
For Crusaders first-five Mo'unga, the challenge of starting a test should be a welcome and potentially rewarding experience.
He has started only one of his previous five tests – the victory over Argentina in Nelson in September – and it was one in which he probably didn't play to his potential.
Mo'unga, normally a composed presence like his Crusaders predecessor Dan Carter, tried to force things a little and also missed a couple of tackles, although in saying that, he did kick seven from eight attempts in front of goal which compared favourably with Beauden Barrett's two from six a week later in the defeat to South Africa in Wellington.
Richie Mo'unga. Photo / Getty
Mo'unga's quality is without dispute but he has looked at his best off the bench against the Pumas in Buenos Aires and Springboks in Pretoria recently. In both victories he backed his instincts and provided significant impact, especially at Loftus Versfeld when he ran with authority, took a calculated risk in carving off huge territory with a touch-finder, and showed nerves of steel when converting the resulting try by Ardie Savea for the win.
Asked this week about how much difference there was in starting a test at first-five and coming on as a replacement, Mo'unga replied: "A lot."
"We talk about clarity and it sounds so simple but when you when you're clear you're not second-guessing yourself," he said. "If I don't play instinctively then I'm not going to be half the player I want to be. If I can get that then I usually play pretty well.
"It's about how to apply pressure early in the game rather than coming off the bench having seen what's happened and what's required. It might be to close the game out, it might be to … speed the game up. This week I have the pleasure of starting it. We know it will be a hard, physical, match and one played at high speed."
The All Blacks are expecting a high-tempo game from the Brave Blossoms but are highly capable of providing one themselves. There will be an expectation too that Mo'unga, 24, will navigate the side around the pitch as well as provide a sounding board for new cap Matt Proctor at centre and inexperienced halfback Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi inside him.
"It is a little weird, yeah, because I still feel like a newbie myself," Mo'unga said of his leadership role. "Obviously this game has its challenges and to be a leader this week, I get to step up…
"Being a leader is part of your job. It's something I need to get better at. To be in a team that's a little bit younger and not as experienced as other All Black teams, it's a great challenge for us."
The presence of 31-year-old hooker Coles should help, as should the captaincy of Luke Whitelock.
For Coles, who has played 56 tests, this is a stepping stone for next week and beyond. Should he get through his 50-or-so minutes at Ajinomoto Stadium, he will almost certainly be on the bench at Twickenham alongside Mo'unga, who now must be considered Beauden Barrett's No1 back-up following Damian McKenzie's recent success at fullback.
