After three months and one week since last playing a full match, it's game on for the Crusaders.
While the team is chomping at the bit to return to the field for Super Rugby Aotearoa, winger Sevu Reece admits last week’s bye may have been a blessing in disguise as players’ had their eyes opened to the new breakdowns and offside ruling.
“You need to adapt to that rule real fast or you'll be a step behind,” Reece told 1 NEWS.
“All the other teams have to be up to speed with that.”
There were close to 30 penalties in each of the two games last weekend but the big flipside though; early season collision injuries, especially at the new-look breakdown, are down on usual numbers.
New Zealand Rugby Head of High Performance Mike Anthony said the new rulings made the breakdown cleaner.
“It seemed to be that decisions were made quickly,” he said.
“It's about winning a race there now for both teams.”
Anthony, the former All Blacks and Crusaders trainer is confident we'll see changes for the better filtering down to all levels.
“It's round one - can't say it’s a trend just yet but hopefully it continues part of our initiative around this is to make the game safer.”
With a clearer, faster breakdown made of fewer players, the defender who digs in for the ball, known as the jackal or jackler, didn't get their usual pummelling last weekend by players flying in.
Professional referee James Doleman told 1 NEWS officials intend to stand their ground on the rulings.
“A referee doesn't want to go out there and make 30 decisions a game,” he said.
“At the crux of it, our role is to make decisions - what the players and coaches present, we make decisions on.”
The Crusaders played an intra-squad game last weekend with an official referee controlling the game, using the stringent interpretations to net themselves some experience.
But with countdown on to Sunday’s contest in Wellington against the Hurricanes, Reece said it’ll soon be a distant memory.
“We just wanna play!”
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