Charlie Faumuina made his debut against Argentina 12 months ago © Getty Images

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Matches: New Zealand 28 - 13 Argentina

Charlie Faumuina believes his injury-enforced spell on the sidelines this year might have aided his adjustment to the new scrum laws, saying he hasn't gone into the changeover with the old engagement routine fresh in the mind.

Faumuina believes the new laws reward teams that are technically good at scrummaging, and he's relishing the prospect of locking horns with the Pumas in The Rugby Championship Test at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton on Saturday. "They pride themselves on the set pieces, especially the scrums, so I'm looking forward to that battle up front," Faumuina said. "I think if we work together and everyone does their jobs, we'll be good."

Faumuina is happier than most All Blacks to be playing this week, having missed the majority of the Super Rugby season. He sustained a calf injury against New South Wales Waratahs in late March, when he expected to sit on the sidelines for six weeks. But he didn't recover from the injury as well as had been expected, meaning he missed the remainder of the Super rugby competition and the Dave Gallaher Trophy Test series against France.

"I didn't know how long it would take to come right," he said. "I'm pretty happy to be in the team right now."

Faumuina, 26, returned to the All Blacks squad in August, playing off the replacements bench in the two Bledisloe Cup wins over Australia, taking his tally of caps to nine. And now he starts against the Pumas after a groin injury to Owen Franks.

Faumuina said the calf injury had been particularly frustrating given his leg problems in 2012 after he had been in line to make his Test debut in the June series against Ireland. He didn't win his first cap until September, as a 74th-minute substitute in the 21-5 win over Argentina in Wellington.

Follow live text commentary of the Test between New Zealand and Argentina on Saturday, September 7, from 5pm (AEST), 7pm (NZT), 7am (GMT)