Captain Richie McCaw will become the first All Black to earn 100 Test caps when he returns for their pivotal pool clash with France on Saturday.
Fly-half Dan Carter is also back as coach Graham Henry picks his strongest side.
But there is no place for Mils Muliaina, Israel Dagg getting the nod at full-back.
Piri Weepu starts at scrum-half and Sonny Bill Williams is left on the bench.
Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith remain the preferred centre pairing, with Cory Jane and Richard Kahui on the wings.
With Kieran Read still sidelined with an ankle injury, but hoping to be fit for the All Blacks' final pool match with Canada, Adam Thomson moves from open-side to number eight.
McCaw had been expected to win his 100th cap against Japan last Friday but withdrew with a calf strain.
However he took a full part in training earlier this week and will boost the All Blacks ahead of a match likely to determine the winner of Pool A.
"He's a special player, a special man and inspirational to the country," coach Henry said of the 30-year-old.
"Not only inspirational to this rugby team but an inspiration to New Zealanders. He's a world class player, he's brave and he's highly intelligent.
"He's the most experienced captain this country has ever had. The one prior to that was Sean Fitzpatrick and he was the same and got better and better as he got older."
On the decision to leave out Muliaina two matches short of his 100th cap Henry said: "Our job is to make sure we do the best every week we can, and hopefully (Muliaina's century) fits into that big picture. No doubt we'd want that to happen if at all possible, but the team comes first and the first guy to say that's the right way would be Mils because he's that sort of person."
France coach Marc Lievremont named scrum-half Morgan Parra at fly-half as one of five changes, but denied claims he had deliberately selected a weakened side to avoid meeting South Africa or Australia in the knockout phase.
Lievremont has been unhappy with his team's performances in the tournament to date despite taking the maximum 10 points on offer, and has made five changes in all from the side that beat Canada 46-19 on Sunday.
The most significant sees Parra, who kicked 23 points against the Canucks, making his first start at fly-half, in his 32nd Test.
"This is one of the biggest tests of my career, It's a big challenge," said Parra, who has a total of just 35 minutes in the number 10 shirt.
"Carter is the best in the world. I will try and match him, try and stand up to him."
With both countries winning their opening two games, the winner of Saturday's clash is likely to meet the runner-up in Pool B - featuring England, Scotland and Argentina - in the quarter-finals.
"For us it is a great honour to play this match, which is not like any other," Lievremont added. "I hope that my players will bring to it all the passion they have and that they will make us pround of them.
"The summit of it all would be to play the All Blacks again later in the World Cup final at Eden Park."
New Zealand team: Israel Dagg, Cory Jane, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Richard Kahui, Daniel Carter, Piri Weepu; Tony Woodcock, Keven Mealamu, Owen Franks, Brad Thorn, Sam Whitelock, Jerome Kaino, Richie McCaw (captain), Adam Thomson. Replacements:Andrew Hore, Ben Franks, Ali Williams, Anthony Boric, Andy Ellis, Colin Slade, Sonny Bill Williams.
France team: Damien Traille, Vincent Clerc, Aurelien Rougerie, Maxime Mermoz, Maxime Medard, Morgan Parra, Dimitri Yachvili; Jean-Baptiste Poux, Dimitri Szarzewski, Luc Ducalcon, Pascal Pape, Lionel Nallet, Thierry Dusautoir (captain), Julien Bonnaire, Louis Picamoles.Replacements: William Servat, Fabien Barcella, Julien Pierre, Imanol Harinordoquy, Francois Trinh-Duc, Fabrice Estebanez, Cedric Heymans.
PREVIOUS RWC MEETINGS
1987: NZ 29-9 France (final)
1999: France 43-31 NZ (S/F)
2007: France 20-18 NZ (Q/F)
