Robbie Deans had already seen wings Digby Ioane and Dom Shipperley pull out in the build-up to the match, while hooker Saia Fainga'a was forced to withdraw from the bench after breaking his hand in training.
Those injuries came on top of earlier problems suffered by players like James Horwill, David Pocock, Will Genia, Quade Cooper, James O'Connor and Berrick Barnes. At least fellow front rower Sekope Kepu has recovered from the broken arm that kept him out of all bar one game in the Rugby Championship.
Kepu is rushed into replacement duty, while James Slipper is promoted into the starting XV against the World Champions and Rugby Championship winners. Slipper's Queensland Reds front row colleague, James Hanson, gets a seat on the bench.
It will be Slipper's first Test start against the All Blacks and he described it as "a dream come true".
"It's under unfortunate circumstances for Benny A, but I get my shot this week. It's been the story of our year so far and it's just a test of character of our squad," said Slipper.
"I've basically run at tight-head all week as Benny's been under an injury cloud, so I've got the metres under my feet. It's my turn this week and, hopefully, I'll put my best foot forward.
"As a Reds player I love playing at Suncorp. Queenslanders really get out and support their teams and it's a great atmosphere.
"It's a good chance to test myself against Tony Woodcock, a centurion with All Black Test caps and a very classy player."
