If there were any uncertainties surrounding whether or not the Crusaders could secure a fifth Super Rugby title on the trot, today's squad naming should have quelled any fears in the Canterbury and Tasman regions.
With the announcement of the 2021 Super Rugby squads set for December 1, opportunities for Kiwi rugby fans to catch a glimpse of their franchise's next wave of talent is slimming by the week.
It had been two months since David Havili last played before Tasman's clash against Waikato on Saturday, but New Zealand's forgotten man has put the All Blacks selectors on notice.
Tasman may have been robbed of four All Blacks, but that hasn't stopped them from naming an experienced side laden with Super Rugby talent for their top-of-the-table Mitre 10 Cup clash with Waikato on Saturday.
The already mighty Mako are about to get even stronger ahead of their Round 2 Mitre 10 Cup clash with Northland on Friday evening.
Kieran Read's first provincial game in 11 years ended with a somewhat predictable defeat to defending champions Tasman but the former All Blacks captain savoured his long-awaited debut for Counties Manukau.
Tasman co-coaches Andrew Goodman and Clarke Dermody have wasted no time injecting their off-season recruits straight into the action for the opening round of the Mitre 10 Cup, with Sevu Reece and Mark Telea set to start on the wings on Saturday.
Every cloud has a silver lining and from a New Zealand rugby point of view, the silver lining of the COVID pandemic is undeniably the return of a number of experienced operators from around the world for this year's Mitre 10 Cup.