In a trial at the world junior championships in France, the height of a legal tackle will be lowered from the shoulder to below the nipple line.
Dubbed the ``nipple rule'', it has been branded a backward step by many, who claim it will depower the game, but Delaney, the Highlanders defence coach, was old school when it came to tackling.
``I have always been a fan of chopping legs, so I like getting lower than that even. I guess they have to put some parameters on it to make it easier to officiate,'' he said.
``If it means it will clean the game up from their perspective it does not worry me at all. I would still say if we are primarily tackling that high then we are too high. If we can tackle around the legs then that will be better.
``[Getting more offloads] is part of the challenge defensively. If you are low chopping tackling then you are not stopping the ball. So you have to work what your second and third man is doing. On the defensive side of the ball the game is set up as an attacking contest. And you have just got to stop it.
``Every time there is an innovation on one side of the ball there is a reaction on the other. So what you will see now is a potential height line that will open up the attack, so you've got to react to that.''
It may bring more offloads, but it was more about working together as a tackling team on defence, Delaney said.
The defence will come into focus this week when the dangerous Hurricanes come to town for the match on Friday night.
Delaney said the Hurricanes had talented players from one to 15.
``They are a handful and we saw that up there - scoring tries in the last millimetre of the pitch, and that is the ability they have. We have to stay focused for the full 80. We have got some skills we think can test them, [but] conversely we have to look at the threats they will bring.''
The Highlanders are coming off a grinding win over the Reds, but Delaney said with the work done by the side it could have expected more points.
``In the Reds games we managed to control the territory really well. The scoreline was close, but I did not feel like we were under any real pressure. In that back 20-25 minutes I thought we controlled that ball really, really well.''
He said every player not on the long-term injured list was available this week and the side was looking forward to a big match.
The side would go on a 10 day break after the match as the June test window comes into focus.
The Highlanders' All Blacks would not come into camp until late tonight, which was disruptive, but Delaney said the Hurricanes were in the same boat.
Highlanders head coach Aaron Mauger was in contact with the team, but it was unclear when he would be back. His mother died in Christchurch over the weekend.
