All Blacks lock Brodie Retallick is raring to go ahead of a pivotal 2017 for both club and country.
Coming off a season in which he played 13 of 14 Tests, the 204cm linchpin made his first appearance of the year in the Chiefs' win on Friday over the Highlanders.
Under the pump for much of the match, Retallick helped to keep his Chiefs side stable in defence with 13 tackles and two turnovers in a 24-15 triumph.
The 25-year-old is a virtual shoo-in for the All Blacks and, barring injury, will line up in their mid-year Tests against the British and Irish Lions.
A Rugby Championship and northern tour will follow in what could be one of Retallick's busiest years to date.
"I'm feeling great, had a good off-season, feeling nice and fit and the body's hanging in there," Retallick told Sky Sport NZ.
"Touch wood, it carries on that way."
Retallick said he was glad to see his Chiefs outfit begin their campaign on the right note, running in three tries to nil and securing a bonus point.
The side showed plenty of defensive grit despite struggling to retain possession and made their set pieces count.
"At halftime, it could've gone either way," Retallick said.
"We had to do a lot of defending in that first half so we tried to hold onto the ball a bit more in the second.
"We didn't quite do it, but happy to come away with a win."
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