Back

All Blacks Hooker Taylor Explains Changes

All Blacks hooker Codie Taylor says fatherhood has inspired him to make some changes to his routine that have boosted his performances.

Taylor is coming off the best Super Rugby season of his career and hopes to take that form into the All Blacks’ potential 15-test campaign with their rescheduled July opener against Tonga at Mount Smart starting on Saturday.

Taylor has shared hooker duties with Dane Cole but there is a belief in the game that this is the year that the 30-year-old becomes a regular starter, so impressive is his form.

“It goes back to preparation off the field,” Taylor told the media on Monday.

“I had a really good look at myself at the start of the year and wanted to change a few things up. I’m a bit of a seasoned campaigner now … I thought it was a great chance to make a few adjustments.

“I suppose they’ve paid off. But it all starts again now. All Blacks footy is a step up … you come back in here and the intensity is so much higher. Even at training last week there was a bit of razzle going on, with the boys wanting to play. It was cool to be part of.”

Taylor was asked to go into specifics on what changes he had made and he said the small things have made a difference.

“It’s little tweaks, around strength and conditioning, some skill-work and planning out my weeks,” he added. “I’ve got a young family now and you have to make sure you’re on that because not every night you’re getting eight hours’ sleep with young kids. I think it’s paid off.”

Taylor says he is looking forward to the challenge this weekend at Mount Smart.

“We haven’t played [Tonga] in a couple of years, and they’ll be pretty excited, given the whole culture aspect of what this weekend is. It’s a mix of cultures that pretty much were one a few hundred years ago, so it’s going to be a cool spectacle.”

/Stewart
Sports news editor