He enjoyed seeing fellow wings Caleb Tangitau, Michael Manson, and Sam Gilbert perform but was looking forward to making his own contribution.
He has been impressed by Tangitau and Manson's speed, and he wants to challenge them.
"They are young, fast and strong and it is exciting that we have them with us."
But it is the improvement in the backline generally that he has enjoyed.
"We've gelled so much quicker than previous years. The boys are working hard. They're playing for each other, and the region. It probably the best show in town."
Having competition on the wings was also valuable.
Nothing could be read into the Hurricanes' form because they had dangerous players like fullback Ruben Love, first five-eighths Harry Godfrey and flanker Du'Plessis Kirifi, among others.
Coming off a bye and facing an eight-game stretch, coach Jamie Joseph said some tricky times lay ahead.
"We've got to go to Australia, come back, we've got to go up north, come back, there's a lot of touring.
"So, the immediate goal is to put on a performance we're proud of against the Hurricanes [on Friday] and then the medium term focus will be around getting some guys game time so we can get through this season."
Joseph is starting halfback Nathan Hastie against the Hurricanes.
"He created a lot for the team [against Moana Pasifika] which was a point of difference that night. Now he's got confidence in the game where he can go out and express himself a bit better than he was able to at the start of the season."
Hooker Jack Taylor will also start after some impressive displays coming off the bench.
"He's been so good for us in the early parts of the season and one thing we need to improve on is our discipline. Jack gets an opportunity to go out and see if he can start a game."
First five-eighth Ajay Faleafaga has been named on the bench for his first chance this season.
"He's hungry, got a lot of skill and individual ability. The other part of his game he needs to execute is that control and balance, so he's not having a go all the time, he's being able to control the team and understand the context of the game."
Joseph expected the Hurricanes to be challenging, especially as All Blacks are returning.
"They'll be hungry and have a point to prove, and we haven't beaten the Hurricanes since 2020.
"We made a lot of mistakes against Moana; we've been focusing on getting that right."