Preferring Fekitoa ahead of Ryan Crotty was a decision they found relatively easy to make. Fekitoa surpassed expectation in La Plata.
His defence was big. His reading of the game good. His positioning was exceptional. His ball-carrying was strong to the extent the 22-year-old was the most influential back on the field behind Julian Savea.
Fekitoa has been the season's surprise package, but his performance in La Plata was on a whole new level.
"He played superbly well and we think he's a good combination with Conrad [Smith] as opposed to Conrad and Ryan -- they are probably more similar to each other," said All Black coach Steve Hansen of why Fekitoa was picked to start against the Boks.
"Malakai is a little bit more like Ma'a [Nonu] -- he's a big ball-carrying second five-eighths and he complements the skills of Conrad pretty well."
The combination is key in all this as well. The All Blacks are at their best when they have a direct, ball-carrying threat alongside Smith. Usually, for 55 tests anyway, that has been Nonu.
Crotty was preferred at No12 in Nonu's absence against Australia at Eden Park. He played well, got involved and made a few dents with his running.
But there wasn't so much an element of duplication with Smith, but a feeling they didn't between them offer enough weaponry.
That's the beauty of Fekitoa -- he offers a more explosive package that sits better with Smith's skill set and the combination has some potential to prove rather handy not just this Sunday, but for some time yet.
Having shown he's equally comfortable in both midfield roles and a contender, albeit at a push, to play on the wing as well, Fekitoa has made himself an attractive bench option.
There will come a point next year when the All Blacks can choose from a full roster of fit midfielders including Nonu, Smith, Sonny Bill Williams and maybe even Rene Ranger.
Fekitoa can go a long way towards cementing his position as the best of the emerging talent if he can emulate last week's performance at La Plata.
- Gregor Paul of the Herald on Sunday