The All Black John Afoa will move from prop to hooker in the New Zealand Barbarians against New Zealand Maori at Whangarei on June 12 before the All Blacks play Ireland in New Plymouth.
The move's been made at the request of the All Black selectors, whose options at hooker have been been limited by Andrew Hore's injury.
Jamie McIntosh and Charlie Faumuina join Afoa in a powerful front row and the side will be led by the Otago flanker Alando Soakai.
The 2009 All Blacks wing Ben Smith will play at second five-eighth, outside Canterbury utility Colin Slade and halfback Wellington halfback Alby Mathewson,
Two of three vacant places on the bench will be filled by Irish internationals and in line with Barbarians tradition there's a relative unknown, the Auckland under-20 winger Bryce Heem.
The rest of the team is: Jared Payne, Rene Ranger, Fetu Vainikolo, Peter Saili, Scott Waldrom, Kevin O'Neill, Josh Bekhuis, . Reserves: Andrew van der Heijden (Dean Budd Rhyan Caine, Lachie Munro.
