Adam Thomson's rise to being rated New Zealand's second-best openside flanker by the All Blacks' brains trust has been partly put down to a mind-set change.

Thomson, a regular blindside flanker in Super 14 and provincial rugby, will wear the All Blacks' No 7 jersey for their season-opening test against France at Carisbrook on Saturday night.

Thomson broke into the All Blacks last year, where he mainly played at blindside.

But by the end of the All Blacks' 2008 season-ending tour his future place in the team remained in the balance.

The All Black coaching staff that was due both to a log-jam of talent at blindside, as well as Thomson's outlook.

While he refused to go into depth over Thomson's mind-set change, forwards coach Steve Hansen said changes that needed to be made had been.

He said that had been reflected in what he had been capable on the

"I think there is a certain type of person that we want in our team," Hansen said.

"We have always preached that better people make better All Blacks.

"He has done a remarkable job in that area.

"He has become a very selfless person; it is team first and that is what we want. We want people who have character and want to put the team first."

Thomson has been preferred over specialist openside Tanerau Latimer to step in for the injured Richie McCaw against France on Saturday night.

On Tuesday, soon after confirming the match 22, Henry said Thomson was now rated as the second-best openside in New Zealand.

Henry then said that the jury had been out in regards to Thomson following the season-ending tour.

It was a comment which Hansen echoed.

"As Graham eluded to, probably at the end of year tour we were struggling to find a place for him if everybody came through the Super 14 playing particularly well at six," he said.

"He went away and worked on the areas that we wanted him to work on. And we started to see the skill-set of a seven.

"The law changes also I think suit him.

"By halfway through the Super 14, his form was such that he was going to be very very hard to leave out of the All Blacks.

"We wanted him to get a lot more stronger over the ball, a lot more physicality in the rest of his breakdown too and his clean-out.

"And he has done that particularly well.

"There are some things we wanted him to work on as a character, and he has also done that.

"He has put his hand up within the Highlanders franchise and been one of the leaders in their group. We have been very impressed with him."

Hansen said none of New Zealand's specialist openside flankers had shown in the Rebel Sport Super 14 that they warranted selection ahead of Thomson as McCaw's back-up.

He added that Thomson was thriving in the challenge that awaited him.

"Well, he loves it. One he is starting, two he is an All Black and three, he has a huge opportunity," he said.

"He is really excited by it.

"He has the best No 7 in the world working with him all week; he has bounced ideas off him, he has bounced ideas off myself and he has his own self-believe.

"He is in really good form as a rugby player. When you are like that, you come with a lot of self-confidence and that allows you to play and perform to high levels."