The hosts will be hoping to continue their recent stranglehold of the Wellington leg of the Sevens World Series when the tournament kicks off today, with their prospects enhanced by a host of Super Rugby recruits.
Williams, Savea, Akira Ioane and Ben Lam are among the big names whose chase of Olympic glory will begin this weekend, providing Sir Gordon Tietjens' side with another level of physicality and pedigree.
They certainly need it, after slumping to seventh in the standings following disappointing performances in Dubai and Cape Town. And while those players' attacking ability will be keenly watched, Tietjens was more concerned with how the converts cope with their defensive tasks.
"They all have X-factors to some degree, and every sevens player has to have a point of difference," the coach said. "But in sevens, you're more accountable and you can't rest. You make a tackle and you've got to be on your feet and you have another job to do.
"That's a real challenge for any of these players. When you have guys like Ben Lam or Sonny Bill Williams or Akira Ioane, with the size they have and the defenders they'll attract, that's a real positive. But, on the other side, when we're defending, it's about making a tackle and what you offer post-tackle."
Williams aside, the rest of the ring-ins can call on prior sevens experience, having been part of Tietjens' teams before forging their 15s careers. But any amount of repetitions goes only so far for preparing the body and, particularly, the lungs for a return to the small-sides games.
The integration of new players will be an obvious talking point throughout the year leading to Rio and, as Tim Mikkelson explained, sometimes it doesn't go according to plan.
"You saw it with South Africa in Dubai," the captain said. "When they brought their 15s guys in, they struggled a bit in the first tournament but then won their second home tournament. So we're hoping we can come together a bit quicker."
That expectation will certainly be shared by the home fans, given New Zealand have triumphed in four of the past five Wellington tournaments. And, in an Olympic year, that pressure will be magnified, but Tietjens was counting on it bringing the best out of his men.
"The luxury about the Olympic Games at the end of the track is it's giving these players an opportunity to perform because they want to go to Rio - they want to be an Olympian.
"I'll be looking at the different combinations throughout the different tournaments that are coming up to see who the best players are, and their first opportunity is starting [today]."
