As they prepare to host the Rebels on Friday, No8 Brayden Iose said they spent time looking back at those who had gone before them in the jersey, and they wanted to honour that legacy by evolving their game and being the best they could be.
Iose said that while there was a good vibe around the squad because of their early successes, they were under no illusions.
"We're in a fortunate position but we're still here to work hard and see how far we can get."
It had been pleasing to secure a win over the Crusaders in Christchurch. Their seven consecutive titles made that clear.
The side's mentality was reflected in the decision to go for a late try rather than a shot at goal, which could have forced the game to a golden point.
"We played to win and the boys felt we were in a good position and had some good momentum and were confident in our set piece."
Iose said he was enjoying his rugby and the game time he has been getting in the absence of Ardie Savea.
"Ardie is amazing and he was really good when he was here around helping me develop my game. But my mindset set is to express myself and play my rugby to try and put the team in a position to win. Hopefully, I can do that."
Iose said new coach Clark Laidlaw had led the side's revival.
"We've got good coaching, management, and staff, and he's implemented some things around our culture. We worked hard in preseason on some things we probably hadn't done before, [including] putting us under a lot of pressure.
"The things that he's tried to bring in have been valuable for our group. We're quite a young group and he embraces that. We've got young leaders and he's bringing the best out of them."
One area Laidlaw has developed in heat chambers at their training facility is problem-solving under fatigue, using various scenarios out in the field.
"If you look back to the weekend with the Crusaders, you saw a little bit of that come out. I felt pretty calm and controlled in those [last] nine minutes.
"The little things around that side of the game have been massive around our mindset and how we feel."