Cruden is the perfect No.10 for All Blacks
New Zealand coach Steve Hansen is clearly banking on experience for the first Test against Wales in Auckland on Saturday.
However, the 27-year-old Cruden has been warned not to feel too comfortable steering the World Champions – as Beauden Barrett and Lima Sopoaga remain in the mix to succeed champion backline general Dan Carter.
Hansen named a Test side stacked with 720 Tests caps and to be captained by back row forward Kieran Read – who takes over from Richie McCaw who, like Dan Carter, retired from the Test arena after winning the 2015 World Cup.
The only uncapped players in the matchday squad of 23 are flank Ardie Savea and centre Seta Tamanivalu, who are set to make their Test debuts off the bench.
Wales, who last beat the All Blacks 63 years ago, were hoping for a change of fortune with the absence of Carter, the game's most prolific Test points scorer.
Instead, they find New Zealand has three players already with international experience, battling to take his place.
"It's pretty special, isn't it, that one player has gone who has been there for a long time and you have got three players who have all been there before and all three are playing well," All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster said.
Cruden has already been the All Blacks starting flyhalf in 23 of his 37 Tests, but missed last year's World Cup because of a knee injury.
Barrett, who has only started six of his 36 Tests while developing a reputation as an effective impact player, has been named in the replacements while the one-Test Sopoaga does not make the squad.
But Foster hinted there would be changes at flyhalf as the three-Test series unfolded.
"We want all three working hard together because we are going to have to grow that group because we know we are going to need all three at some point," he said.
For the first Test Ryan Crotty and Malakai Fekitoa fill the centres in place of the departed Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith, while Waisake Naholo joins Julian Savea on the wings.
Joe Moody is preferred over Wyatt Crockett to start at loosehead prop and Nathan Harris has been named as the reserve hooker ahead of Codie Taylor, with Dane Coles starting in the middle of the front row.
The All Blacks lost three of the first four Tests they played against Wales, the last time being a 13-8 defeat at Cardiff Arms Park in 1953, and they have won all 26 clashes since then.
"Whilst the opposition might believe that we're vulnerable, because it's our first Test and we have lost some experienced players, we don't have that mindset," All Black coach Steve Hansen said.
"We have some very excited players who have trained well during the week and are getting the opportunity to make a statement about who they are and what the All Blacks jersey means to them," he added.
"We're well aware that this is a good Welsh team and not one that we'll underestimate and we're looking forward to the challenge that comes with playing Test match football, which involves high-pressure moments and huge physicality."
All Black captain Kieran Read, who will play his 85th Test this weekend, will be captaining the side for the 10th time.
Despite a rich and long history stretching back 110 years, the All Blacks and Wales have played each other only 30 Times, with 27 victories to New Zealand and three wins to Wales, the most recent in 1953.
The two teams have met just two times at Eden Park, in 1988 and 1969.
New Zealand: 15 Ben Smith, 14 Waisake Naholo, 13 Malakai Fekitoa, 12 Ryan Crotty, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Aaron Cruden, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Kieran Read (captain), 7 Sam Cane, 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Brodie Retallick, 4 Luke Romano, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Joe Moody.
Replacements: 16 Nathan Harris, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Charlie Faumuina, 19 Patrick Tuipulotu, 20 Ardie Savea, 21 TJ Perenara, 22 Beauden Barrett, 23 Seta Tamanivalu.
Date: Saturday, June 11
Venue: Eden Park, Auckland
Kick-off: 19.35 (08.35 UK time; 07.35 GMT)
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant referees: Jaco Peyper (South Africa), Will Houston (Australia)
