Whoever was in charge of the tunes had opted for country music.
Say no more.
‘‘Spend a bit of time in the sauna, eh, it’s a wee bit like that, I guess,’’ the Highlanders hooker quipped.
The Highlanders will look to build on their positive start to the Super Rugby Pacific season by registering a rare away win over the Reds in Brisbane tonight.
The Reds have given the Dunedin-based team a lot of trouble in Queensland during the past 30 years.
They have lost just four home games against the Highlanders in all that time.
And in a more troubling statistic, the Highlanders have won just one of their past 13 games in Australia.
It has been a graveyard.
‘‘Yeah, we haven’t got a great record here at Suncorp, so we’re definitely trying to improve that.
‘‘Obviously, travel is a big part of that, so getting the travel right first and just trusting our game.
‘‘We know our game’s good enough, so we’re just going to front up.’’
The Highlanders posted a 25-23 win over the Crusaders but slipped to a 26-23 loss to the Chiefs last weekend.
The Reds were beaten 36-12 by the Waratahs in their only game so far.
‘‘We’ve started pretty well, we feel. We worked hard in the preseason on our game and we had to,’’ Taylor said.
‘‘Most of it was around turning those close losses into wins. We had like seven of those last year.
‘‘We’ve got a win and a bonus point [so far], but we’re just going to keep getting better, because every other team’s going to keep getting better as well.’’
Jack’s older brother, Harry, and younger brother, Jimmy, are both talented rugby players as well.
Harry featured for Otago during their impressive run in the NPC. The openside flanker has signed with the Ealing Trailfinders, who are unbeaten in the Championship in England.
Jimmy has a national development contract with the Highlanders and is a long-term project at first five.
‘‘He was in for the preseason and got a couple of opportunities to get out and train when it was full contact.
‘‘And he did well, to be fair. He’s played a couple of games for the [Bravehearts, the Highlanders development side] before he’s even played club rugby.
‘‘It was pretty cool to be wearing the Highlanders jersey with him on the training field.’’
Taylor will be a key man in the lineout battle. The Reds were accurate in that department against the Waratahs and may see that as an area where they can attack the Highlanders, particularly in the absence of All Blacks lock Fabian Holland.
The Highlanders will look to use their back three to counterattack.
Right winger Caleb Tangitau has scored eight tries in nine games for the Highlanders, and his blend of power and pace has attracted a lot of headlines.
Fullback Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens is a creative inspiration for the Highlanders, and left winger Jona Nareki is a well-rounded player capable of making an impact on both defence and attack.
Halfback Adam Lennox has been given the nod to start ahead of Folau Fakatava and will be keen to impress.
Super Rugby Pacific
Highlanders v Reds
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
9.35pm on Friday (NZ time)
Highlanders: Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, Caleb Tangitau, Jonah Lowe, Timoci Tavatavanawai (co-captain), Jona Nareki, Cameron Millar, Adam Lennox, Lucas Casey, Sean Withy (co-captain), TK Howden, Mitch Dunshea, Will Stodart, Rohan Wingham, Jack Taylor, Ethan de Groot.
Reserves: Soane Vikena, Daniel Lienert-Brown, Sosefo Kautai, Oliver Haig, Veveni Lasaqa, Folau Fakatava, Reesjan Pasitoa, Tanielu Tele’a.
Reds: Jock Campbell, Lachie Anderson, Josh Flook, Hunter Paisami, Tim Ryan, Carter Gordon, Louis Werchon, Fraser McReight (captain), Harry Wilson, Joe Brial, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Josh Canham, Zane Nonggorr, Matt Faessler, Aidan Ross.
Reserves: Josh Nasser, George Blake, Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, Hamish Muller, Vaiuta Latu, Kalani Thomas, Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, Filipo Daugunu.
