As a result of that, and especially after their warm-up loss to the Hurricanes, they are looking forward to finding their way from DHL Super Rugby Pacific's outset.
For Barrett, it is a chance to make the most of the three months he had off to arrive for a new season at full fitness. He returned to New Zealand after last season's Rugby Championship on paternity leave which will allow him to play full minutes from the outset, compared to other All Blacks on time-staged returns.
Being able to play last weekend's final warm-up game had only whetted his appetite for the season.
It does start under Covid-19's cloud for the third consecutive season, but he said one of the lessons of playing rugby over the last three years had been to focus on what you could.
New Zealand Rugby has worked hard behind the scenes to give the teams the best platform to play.
"We've had a good couple of weeks [in Queenstown's Rugby bubble] and we're looking forward to the weekend," he said.
Barrett said having time together on tours, and the extra conversations were the usual aspects of rugby in more normal times. But to have that before the season, in the Covid-19 rugby bubble, was different.
“You can gel a little bit faster as well as to get to know the new guys in the squad with the extra downtime. It's been good to be based here in Queenstown. It's not ideal, we'd like to be at home in front of our fans, but this is where we are at the moment and we are enjoying it.”
Having Argentina's Pablo Matera in the side added a lot of experience to the loose forwards, and Barrett said he was looking forward to him playing.
He was working well with the loose forwards, but he had been quieter in the team situation, which was usual for a newcomer, he said.
"We have a lot of respect for him and you can tell he has experience and a bit of presence within the group, so it is great to have him here," he said.