Wellington will have the benefit of All Blacks Asafo Aumua, TJ Perenara and Ardie Savea when playing Waikato in Hamilton on Saturday afternoon.
Eleven of the Wellington Mitre 10 Cup side have played Super Rugby while four players will make their debuts.
Tyrone Thompson, Josiah Tavita-Metcalfe, Taine Plumtree and Aidan Morgan will all come off the bench to make their first appearances.
Coach Leo Crowley said returning former All Black wing Julian Savea had made an impact with the side and had been a positive influence both in training and off-the-field.
All sides know they will have their All Blacks for two weeks, but then it was on a week-by-week consideration, he said.
Their pre-season game with Manawatu had been a reminder for the side of the challenges that lie ahead and Wellington needed to make a good start, especially with the quality of players they have available from the outset.
While Wellington could call on several All Blacks, captain Du'Plessis Kirifi said Waikato also had several Test players as well as former All Blacks Liam Messam and Adam Thomson.
"Naturally, they're a pretty proud province but you chuck all those boys back in the jersey and it's going to shape up to be a pretty cool game," he said.
Canterbury have named Hurricanes loose forward Reed Prinsep as their captain ahead of Friday's game with North Harbour in Albany. He has 57 games for the province behind him.
Coach Mark Brown said, "He's a good Canterbury man and understands the Canterbury way.
"He's come up through our age-grade teams, has been a key member of the Mitre 10 for some time now and has been in great form in Super Rugby Aotearoa. Reuben [Thorne] and I decided to offer Reed the captaincy because he's a man who leads by his actions," he said.
Prinsep will play on the blindside of the scrum with Cullen Grace at No 8 and Billy Harmon on the openside.
Making their debuts from the bench are props Tamaiti Williams and Finlay Brewis and outside back Isaiah Punivai. Also on the bench are players of the quality of Richie Mo'unga, Mitchell Drummond, Whetukamokamo Douglas and Mitchell Dunshea.
Counties Manukau host last season's champions Tasman at Pukekohe on Saturday evening and will field All Blacks Nepo Laulala and Dalton Papalii in their starting side along with former All Blacks captain Kieran Read.
Co-captaining the side will by lock Lyndon Dunshea and second five-eighths Orbyn Leger. Back at first five-eighths will be Baden Kerr while in the outside backs Sevens stars Sione Molia and Etene Nanai-Seturo will play centre and fullback respectively.
Zuriel Togiatama will make his debut at hooker after an injury to Donald Maka.
Read said he couldn't wait to start.
"I am on some kind of minutes alert so they will get me as much as I can go and we have some good guys on the bench ready to come on.
"Tasman are going to be impressive so we need to come out and start well I think and put them under as much pressure as we can," he said.
Other games see Otago host Auckland at 4.35 pm on Saturday. On Sunday, Northland host Manawatu and Taranaki play Bay of Plenty, both at 2.05 pm while Southland host Hawke's Bay in Invercargill at 4.35 pm.