Glenn Delaney is starting his second year as the Highlanders defence coach, and is leaving no stone unturned in his pursuit of adding skills to make his team better.
Defence is becoming a part of the game upon which many sides in the international game are basing victories.
Delaney said rugby was constantly changing and one had to keep ahead of it all the time.
''The idea is you are trying to put the skills sets under lots of pressure. So what you have is a bit of ying and yang,'' he said.
''Defence sort of moves ahead and then attack adjusts and moves ahead so defence adjusts. And that is just the course of the game. It is a live process. The way we play the game today does not really bear any resemblance to the way we played say five years ago, let alone 20 years ago.''
He said the law change last year meant players could hold the ball more at the breakdown so turnovers were harder to get. The referees were looking to make it more of a contest this year.
''What we heard from them [referees] is every phase is there to be competed for. No team can just lock the ball away.''
Delaney played and coached in the United Kingdom for many years and went back to the country for a lengthy period in the off-season. He still has family in the UK and also managed to fit in some personal development.
He spent a week with the All Blacks when the national side was on its northern hemisphere tour and also went to different clubs, catching up with former colleagues and talked about how the game was being played.
''There are lots of cool things to go and learn to try and find new ways of looking at things and the ways of educating players.''
He visited some military people but it was nothing to do with the actual playing of the game.
''It was just the way they educate these youngsters who are coming through. We have got this new breed of young people who are certainly not like you and I. We try and find ways to inspire them and how they see the world.
''Us old duffers we sit behind a laptop while these guys are out there playing. Just to find the best way to get them to go out and get educated and the military do some pretty cool things around that.''
The Highlanders are set to take on the Crusaders in their final pre season hit-out this Friday night in Southbridge. Delaney confirmed the side did not pick up any serious injuries in the win over the Waratahs in Alexandra last Friday night.
The side's All Blacks are not going to be available for the match but Delaney said that was known a long time ago.
They had been on a full training programme and were set to be ready for the first Super Rugby game of the season against the Chiefs in Hamilton on February 15.