Delany gets a chance to guide the Highlanders from first five eighth against the Waratahs at Carisbrook following the one-week suspension of fellow greenhorn Daniel Bowden.
The two are similar in stature but Delany is four years older, and where Bowden made his first-class debut at the tender age of 19, Delany had to wait until he was 23 before wearing Bay of Plenty colours for the first time.
Both men are in their first season of Super 14 rugby and seeking to make an impact in the No 10 jersey worn by All Black star Nick Evans in recent years.
Delany was on the bench for both losses in Australia but got a decent spell in the opening game to find his feet at the top level.
‘‘It's been good. I was really happy to get on against the Reds and get a feel for it, and I felt pretty comfortable,'' he said.
The relative brevity of his first-class career and the tinkering with the national championship have denied Delany a chance to play in a competitive game at Carisbrook before tonight.
Some average decision making, poor finishing and rough officiating have denied the Highlanders their opening win, but there is a determination among the players not to let that bother them.
‘‘It's been pretty tough but we all know we've got to get on and accept it and go out this week with a real focus to win,'' Delany said.
‘‘We know we could have won both games we've played. But the boys have stayed really positive because we know we're not far away from a complete performance.
‘‘To bank that first win would be huge for us. We want to get the win under our belt and build from there, because we know there's nothing wrong with how we're playing the game.''
Delany is adamant the Highlanders must stick to the attacking approach they have adopted. They have made plenty of linebreaks but have not quite had the accuracy to turn them into points.
He is enjoying the task of adapting to the experimental law variations. As the first five, he often has more space and time to make decisions, especially from a scrum when the backlines are further apart.
Like Delany, coach Glenn Moore has backed the Highlanders' approach, feeling they have played some good rugby in both their losses.
‘‘We need to polish up on a bit of what we're doing. We've created good opportunities but clearly we need to convert more of those,'' Moore said.
‘‘We've probably seen a few occasions where a simple draw-and-pass would have put someone in for a try. Maybe some of that comes down to inexperience at times.
‘‘But if you look at the numbers, I think we're second- or third-highest in linebreaks, so we've definitely got the personnel to create scoring opportunities. Now we have to look to our support structure to convert that into points.''
It is the third game against Australian opposition in a row for the Highlanders but, significantly, their first at Carisbrook.
The old ground has lost some of its aura - the Highlanders have won just four of the past 10 games played in Dunedin - but Moore hopes public support will create some sort of home advantage tonight.
‘‘We've done a lot to recognise how important the people in the region are to us. I've heard some feedback about people from Southland and North Otago coming for the game.
‘‘We're also getting good feedback about how we're trying to play the game. We're not closing shop. We're trying to attack and play some good rugby I hope people buy into what we're doing and want to be part of it.''
The Waratahs, comfortable winners in their past three visits to Carisbrook, shape as the most talented of the four Australian sides.
They are particularly strong and streetwise in the second and back rows, where Dan Vickerman and Phil Waugh are the kingpins, but there are question marks over their front row, with the untested Sekope Kepu getting a run and Matt Dunning on the unfamiliar tighthead side.
A backline with a young first five and an unheralded midfield will flourish if the dangerous back three of Lote Tuqiri Timana Tahu and Lachie Turner get into some space.
