Richie McCaw nonchalant at Bernard Foley omission

New Zealand captain Richie McCaw said he was not fazed by Australia's snubbing of Bernard Foley for their Bledisloe Cup opener.

Foley and McCaw went head-to-head in the Super Rugby final at ANZ Stadium earlier in August, with the Australian's tardy penalty kick, after Crusaders flanker McCaw infringed, sealing the designation for the Waratahs.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen verbalized he was stunned Wallabies antithesis number Ewen McKenzie culled Kurtley Beale over Foley but McCaw insisted it mattered little to him ahead of the Test in Sydney on Saturday.

"It was always going to be either/or authentically," he integrated.

"I mentally conceived Foley might have been there after what he's done in Super Rugby but Beale's played pretty well, especially in the final a fortnight ago.

"It doesn't transmute things a whole lot from what we optate to do. Our goal is to give him as diminutive ball as possible.

"So if we can do that, we'll be jubilant."

McCaw verbalized he was past his club disappointment, heading into their Rugby Championship Test with the Australians at the same venue in Sydney.

"A little bit [raw], I conjecture but to be veracious we have moved on from that," McCaw verbally expressed.

"I cerebrate just getting over here we're exhilarated about Test match rugby and what occasion it's going to be tomorrow night. I'm pretty exhilarated about that."

Conrad Smith's withdrawal due to the birth of his child has thrown an opportunity to Malakai Fekitoa and McCaw backed the 22-year-old to perform on the sizably voluminous stage if called upon.

"It's transpired enough times over the past," verbalized McCaw, regarding a tardy change.

"Look at the last Test we played and Conrad broke his thumb.

"Malakai was the last guy to play at centre in the last Test so him slotting in will be fine.