The All Blacks will be without skipper Sam Cane for the clash with Australia at Eden Park this weekend but Ardie Savea returns to the back row for the final round Rugby Championship fixture.

Flanker Cane and center David Havili suffered concussions in the 39-37 win over the Wallabies in Melbourne in New Zealand's last outing and both miss Saturday's return match in Auckland. Lock Sam Whitelock will lead the side in Cane's absence for a match which the All Blacks need to win as convincingly as possible to ensure South Africa do not pip them to the title after their final-round encounter with Argentina.

Dalton Papali'i replaces Cane at openside flanker in an entirely new back row with Akira Ioane in at blindside for the injured Scott Barrett and Savea back at number eight after missing the Melbourne match for the birth of his third child. As he did during the Melbourne match, Jordie Barrett moves forward from fullback to replace Havili at inside center with his brother Beauden promoted from the bench to play in the number 15 shirt.

Coach Ian Foster also named Codie Taylor at hooker with Samisoni Taukei'aho backing up from the bench and Dane Coles dropping out of the squad. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck comes onto the bench as midfield cover in place of Quinn Tupaea, who came on as a replacement in Melbourne but suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Wallabies lock Darcy Swain was on Thursday handed a six-week ban for the dangerous cleanout which led to Tupaea's injury.

Swain received a yellow card for the incident in which he dived with force into Tupaea's knee during the first half of the All Blacks' 39-37 win in Melbourne on Thursday.

However, a citing official subsequently deemed the act warranted a red card and the judicial committee agreed, issuing lock Swain with a suspension that ends on November 6.

Judicial Chair Andre Oosthuizen said the 25-year-old had contravened law 9.11 which states "players must not do anything that is reckless or dangerous to others".

Oosthuizen said the incident, which has resulted in a serious knee injury to midfield back Tupaea, merited a "mid-range" sanction of six weeks.

"Through the actions by the player such as position, control, and player movements they found the incident was not intentional, however, it was highly reckless," Oosthuizen said of the committee findings.

New Zealand coach Ian Foster said on Friday that Tupaea will be sidelined for at least three months due to a ruptured medial cruciate ligament in his left knee.

In July, Swain was shown a red card and suspended for two weeks following a head butt on England lock Jonny Hill during the first match of their series in Perth.

His latest ban means he will be unavailable for Australia's first two Tests of their season-ending tour of Europe, against Scotland and France.

He would be eligible for the remaining Tests against Italy, Ireland and Wales.