Southern bowlers Daniel French and Alanna Moffit will seek to do their bit at the transtasman test in Auckland this week.
The Mat Blacks are facing Australia in the 25th twice-yearly test at the Pukekohe Cosmopolitan Club.
The New Zealanders are getting some time to train together before the three-day event starts tomorrow.
Dunedin bowler French, the New Zealand mixed pairs champion and a regular in the national side, is at No 2 in the men’s fours and skipping the mixed eight-bowl pairs team for the test.
South Otago bowler Moffitt is on debut and will play in the mixed fours before joining French in the pairs.
No fewer than seven of the 14-strong New Zealand team will be on debut.
A feature is the selection of 19-year-old Auckland student Nathan Trowell, who will play lead in both the men’s triples and fours.
Trowell was a junior prodigy who showed at the national championships that he was ready for senior selection.
Simon Thomas, who will captain the Mat Blacks, will skip both the triples and fours, and Michael Lawson will be third and second respectively.
Shaun Blackbourn, who made his first Mat Blacks appearance in the test in Ballarat in 2022, remains skip of the mixed six-bowl pairs and will also skip the mixed fours.
Blackbourn has been in excellent form with back-to-back Welch Trophy wins, a New Zealand Henselite Singles title, and an interisland medal.
Marcus Trlin, a reserve in 2022, will make his debut at No 3 in the mixed fours and join Paul Smith in the men’s pairs. Smith will also slot into the men’s singles for the first time.
Plenty of changes have been made to the women’s side, with three of last year’s incumbents unavailable, one not selected and one moved to reserve, meaning there are five players on debut.
Shelley Jacombs, one of only two women to win national pairs and fours titles, will skip the women’s fours and triples.
Kylie Gould is at three and two respectively in those teams, Annelies Baker will lead the women’s fours and combine with Blackbourn in the mixed pairs, and Jess Moffat will lead the women’s triples and be part of the mixed fours.
Sheree Holmes and Denise Clarkson are the only two New Zealand women returning from Ballarat.
They form a strong combination in the women’s pairs, while Clarkson slots into the women’s fours and Holmes claims the singles berth.
Mat Blacks captain Thomas is confident the new-look team will perform well.
"We have a real mix of experience and fresh blood, and the motivation levels are high.
"The team has been actively putting in the work and we look forward to fine tuning as a group when we get together for a few days before the test."
Thomas captained the Mat Blacks in the thrilling 33-33 draw — Australia won on countback — in Balclutha in 2011.
"I have learned from that experience and look forward to leading this young and talented group of people, and creating a really cohesive unit."
New Zealand have had a stranglehold on the Henselite Trophy for over a decade.
The last two tests, in Ballarat (35-31) and Invercargill (34-32), resulted in close scorelines.
