All Blacks and Crusaders hooker Codie Taylor is looking forward to law variations to be implemented for Super Rugby Aotearoa starting next week.
New Zealand Rugby announced the reconfigured competition, as a result of the cessation of the Super Rugby competition with changed enforcement at the breakdown and the introduction of a golden point should games be drawn at fulltime.
Taylor said the golden point would be a 'good watch' based on how it had worked in NRL games and as there were no playoffs in Super Rugby Aotearoa it created an opportunity for one team to win.
"I'm all for it, it will be good. I probably won't be on the field when it happens. It's exciting and hopefully, it creates a bit more of an edge and entertainment for the crowd," he said.
Taylor said laws surrounding the breakdown had not been changed for the competition, rather the referees would be looking to highlight specific aspects of the laws.
"They're going to be looking for things a lot more clearly but with people rolling out of the tackle and stuff like that so we've been working on that at training. It's going to mean teams will be able to hold the ball a bit longer and defences have to be well set to create the opportunity to get it back.
"I think it's good, New Zealand teams, we love to attack, we want to throw the ball around so hopefully that's what it creates and it just means you have to apply pressure elsewhere if you can't at the breakdown," he said.
With the Crusaders having the bye in the first weekend it said it gave them a little more time to work on things they had been looking to develop before the shutdown. But it was also a chance for them to get tight again, he said, and with Scott Hansen new to the team this year they had been able to look to put some of his ideas into action.
It was also a chance to assess how the other sides were coping with the emphasis changed at the breakdown.
Taylor talked about his social media posting about the racial riots in the United States. He said racism wasn't confined to the USA, it was everywhere around the world.
He appreciated that public figures were attempting to create more awareness of the situation to change attitudes.
"I'm of Maori descent but I'm also of Pakeha descent, sort of in the middle in a sense but I know that a lot of people do struggle with it and I suppose I've been in a position of privilege as well which there's been a lot of talk about.
"It's pretty moving to see that people want change and the more we can make people aware hopefully that can happen," he said.
"It's just about unity, after all, we're all humans, at the end of the day that's what it comes down to. We've got to stand together and look to each other as equals and be judged equally. That's what we're hearing at the moment, that's not the case so that's the area I think we need to change."
Taylor said the unexpected break due to the shutdown had been like the normal summer break for Test players. There was still the mental pressure of trying to maintain fitness as much as possible under the circumstances.
As a family man, Taylor said his situation was different from some other players, but he cherished the time.
"I know that I'll probably never get an opportunity like that again in my life to spend that much time with my kids and watch them grow, it's just the realities of footy and work itself. I loved it and now we're back I'm loving that too," he said.
Assistant coach Scott Hansen said extra emphasis had not gone onto the team's tactical option of a dropped goal in the golden point phase of games.
"I'd prefer to score a try. We' acknowledge our game and where we want to get to. Our boys have been putting in skillset changes around what that might look like for our kickers that are put in that position. We've had conversations with individuals but not with the team," he said.
There was support in the coaching group over the changes in emphasis on the laws. It was pushing the game in the right areas to the transitional game.
"It's a magnificent game and we want it to be played with skill sets and in environments like that for us, we see it as beneficial in regard to something that the viewers can come back to and enjoy and watch and get back in behind the sport because it's the game we love to watch," he said.