Aaron Smith will line up for the Highlanders against the Chiefs tomorrow, getting ready for what he calls "80 minutes of crash-bang."
Smith, now 31, said he took until Wednesday to get over the physicalities of the game, and it was tough on the body.
"You are broken to about Wednesday, and then its starts again — and I’m only a halfback, so I hate to feel like how the forwards would feel. But everyone is doing the same thing," he said.
"In normal Super Rugby you play an Australian team or you go to Africa. These derbies are like test matches, they are death matches and they go for 80. When you play a touring team they start to fade and you can come over the top of them. If anything these [NZ] teams come harder in the last 20 minutes."
Smith, known as Nugget, said the side was not spending enough time on attack and allowing other sides to have the ball for too long.
"I think the nines and 10s can do better with their kicking game. We’re not mixing it up enough, not giving our forwards the ability to tackle on the front foot. If we get our chances to attack, we really need to express ourselves.
"They are just bad kicks. We are not kicking away too much. We’ve got to kick it to land and bounce and get into their half and put them under pressure. Not just kick and give the ball back, to make us do 20 to 30 more tackles."
The side was perhaps lacking energy when it got the ball after having to do all the hard work on defence.
He was happy with his own form and believed becoming the co-captain of the side, with Ash Dixon, had helped his composure.
"I have obviously been a leader for a while now in the group but since Jim [captain James Lentjes] went down, I have really enjoyed trying to be calm and a solid leader. And I think that has really helped my game," he said.
"As a halfback you can live in the moment and what is the next play. But I think the captaincy has helped me remain calm and focus on what is next.
"I have really enjoyed talking to the ref in a good way. I have to be calmer as I have to be for my team mates."
Smith faces the Chiefs tomorrow, and is excited to look to bag a double over the Hamilton-based side.
"They have got awesome confidence in their team and the ability to play. We got lucky against them on the hooter last time we played, so it is going to take another 80-minute performance from us.
"We have lost three games in a row so it is a big game for everyone."
Highlanders v Chiefs
Hamilton, Sunday, 3.35pm
Highlanders: Michael Collins, Josh McKay, Rob Thompson, Sio Tomkinson, Scott Gregory, Mitch Hunt, Aaron Smith (co-captain), Marino Mikaele-Tu'u, Dillon Hunt, Shannon Frizell, Jack Whetton, Pari Pari Parkinson, Siate Tokolahi, Ash Dixon (co-captain), Ayden Johnstone.
Reserves: Liam Coltman, Ethan De Groot, Jeff Thwaites, Manaaki Selby-Rickit, Jesse Parete, Folau Fakatava, Josh Ioane, Jona Nareki.
Chiefs: Damian McKenzie, Sean Wainui, Anton Lienert-Brown, Alex Nankivell, Solomon Alaimalo, Kaleb Trask, Brad Weber, Pita Gus Sowakula, Sam Cane (captain), Lachlan Boshier, Mitchell Brown, Tupou Vaa’i, Nepo Laulala, Bradley Slater, Aidan Ross.
Reserves: Samisoni Taukei’aho, Reuben O’Neill, Ross Geldenhuys, Adam Thomson, Mitchell Karpik, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Aaron Cruden, Quinn Tupaea.
Referee: Mike Fraser (Wellington)