Perhaps it's the enthusiasm of his first start in a month, perhaps it's the responsibility that goes with stepping into Dan Carter's boots, but Crusaders No 10 Stephen Brett is most definitely fired up about Friday night's huge Super 14 derby against the Chiefs in Hamilton.
"Just talking to you about it makes me want to run out there right now," Brett told RugbyHeaven as he discussed prospects for a match that has the makings of a classic.
Forget also any suggestion that all the motivational aspects lie in the Chiefs' favour, with Ian Foster's men likely to need to win to keep alive their push for a playoff spot. The Crusaders, in contrast, hold a commanding seven-point lead at the top of the standings, and are the only team in the competition with a perfect record.
Brett, who has spent most of the last month recovering from a bad shoulder injury, made it more than clear his side is fired up by this match that not only carries post-season relevance and pits potential All Black rivals head to head, but also shapes as a payback mission for the red and blacks.
Last year the Chiefs went down to Christchurch for the round-robin finale and upset the Crusaders 30-24 to nudge them out of a home semifinal. They also did so with the sort of physical intensity that isn't quickly forgotten around this champion outfit.
"They sort of bullied us around last year," said Brett, confirming that he and his team-mates intended to use that as a timely reminder of what to expect this time round from an equally desperate Chiefs outfit.
"They had that mindset all week then, and we know they'll do the same now. They turned our big boys around and I think our forwards will be up for the challenge and ready to go."
Speaking of "ready to go", Brett, who's fast becoming a crucial figure on the New Zealand landscape with Carter's supposedly imminent departure, was jumping out of his skin to get back on the track this week.
He had 10 minutes to test his strengthened shoulder last week against the Lions and came through with flying colours.
"I'm ready to go. The physio and doc have given me the all-clear and to be honest I can't wait to get out there from the start," added Brett.
His matchup against Stephen Donald of the Chiefs shapes as one of the more intriguing of the head-to-heads.
If Carter and his All Black backup Nick Evans do indeed clear off at the end of the year as is being suggested, these could be the two No 10s of the next generation. Or even the two five-eighths, with Brett revealing enough in his stint at second five prior to his injury to show he's also got test potential at 12.
"I love playing against Beaver (Donald)," said Brett, who knows his opposite pretty well from teaming up with him in the Junior All Blacks. "He's a good man, he leads his boys around the field well and I always love our battles.
"It's definitely going to be another good battle this week, and no doubt we'll have a few beers afterwards."
Pushed, Brett concedes that Donald will be someone they're looking to put some pressure on during Friday night's clash. When he goes well, as he's been doing of late, the Chiefs feed off their playmaker's confidence. Earlier in the campaign, when Donald went through a rough patch, it was no coincidence that his team was also off-key.
"When he gets his confidence up their whole team seems to lift," said Brett. "He's a guy we will definitely look to put some pressure on and hopefully then his team won't go so well."
Brett said he had been "gutted" when he damaged his shoulder against the Cheetahs in Christchurch on March 15. He'd been playing so well outside Carter (now out with a serious ankle injury) that the chat had him as a potential All Black No 12, and it's fair to say he'd been thriving on the experience.
"I was thoroughly enjoying it. DC was running great lines, I was hitting the holes and he was hitting me with the passes. He's a great player to play outside and it's a shame he's out now."
But Brett is quick to point out the loss of Carter is no excuse for the Crusaders. No team should rely on one man, he reckons. Besides, the new five-eighth does have a bit of experience there.
"I played there a lot last year, and it's fair to say I've got the hang of it," said the 22-year-old who was leading points-scorer for both Canterbury and the Crusaders in 2007.
"It's just another step up but it's not a big mindset change. There's just a bit more communication required with the forwards instead of the backs."
Brett was also not looking to hide from the stakes of the all-Kiwi derby. Having spent the last month getting himself ready for this, he's rapt it's a match of such major consequence, coming as it does in the midst of V8 week in the Tron.
"This is going to be a huge game. The crowd is going to be crazy," added a clearly pumped-up Brett. "They're a team we haven't competed well against over the years (though the Chiefs have only beaten the Crusaders three times all up), we lost to them at home last year and we want to change that and go out and give them a good thrashing."
The Crusaders have made plenty of changes this week (seven positional and four personnel) as Robbie Deans beings back the big guns after a few strategic rests against the Lions.
Brett comes into that category. He's a class operator, whether at 10 or 12, and with the possibility of the going being soft underneath, this gifted playmaker is going to be a key figure for the Crusaders as they look to limit the opportunities for the dangerous Chiefs outside backs.
He talked about the need for "pinpoint accuracy" and a strong kick chase. No doubt his team will have all that and more drummed into them by their master coach well before kickoff. Don't expect the Chiefs to be served up the openings they've had in recent weeks.
The returning Brett and his coolly efficient Crusaders will clearly not be ambushed this year.
CRUSADERS: 15 Scott Hamilton, 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Casey Laulala, 12 Tim Bateman, 11 Caleb Ralph, 10 Stephen Brett, 9 Andrew Ellis, 8 Mose Tuiali'i, 7 Richard McCaw (c), 6 Kieran Read, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Greg Somerville, 2 Corey Flynn, 1 Ben Franks. Reserves: 16 Ti'i Paulo, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Ross Filipo, 19 Nasi Manu, 20 Kahn Fotuali'i, 21 Hamish Gard, 22 Kade Poki.
