Richie McCaw will become the first player to captain an international team in 100 tests after New Zealand coach Steve Hansen reverted to virtually his first choice selection to face Wales in Cardiff tomorrow.

McCaw, who first captained the side against Wales in Cardiff on November 20, 2004, played blindside flanker last week against Scotland but has switched back to his normal role in the number seven jersey for his 137th test.

Beauden Barrett has won the hotly contested battle for the starting flyhalf position, with Hansen opting not to give world leading points scorer Daniel Carter another run after his rusty performance last week against Scotland.

Aaron Cruden, who had started the majority of the tests this year in Carter’s absence, also failed to make the squad as Hansen said he wanted to give Barrett an opportunity to start a test on their four-game tour.

“We’re using this tour to find out more about the guys we’ve got,” Hansen told New Zealand media in Cardiff.

“We’ve seen Crudes on this tour in one of the big games against England and we wanted to see Beauden against one as well.”

The 32-year-old Carter has barely played this year after a six-month break from the game and an injury-enforced absence from a broken leg.

“If he had come through the other day probably a little bit better he might have been on the bench,” Hansen added.

“But it’s impossible to ask a guy who has played the amount of rugby he’s had to not be rusty. It was a big ask.”