The Highlanders hooker and co-captain brought up his 100th game of Super Rugby on Saturday in style in his side’s 38-21 win over the Hurricanes at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
Dixon scored a try, was denied another through some illegal Hurricanes tactics and was into everything.
It was just a continuation of the excellent form he has shown throughout Super Rugby Aotearoa.
Dixon led from the front, as he has all season, and never took a backward step.
"The ball was in play for what felt like a long time. I felt like we had really good momentum at times and the last pass would just not stick or we tried to force a couple of things," Dixon said.
"We could have been down by 20 points. But I loved the fight from the boys. Loved the resilience. Just to keep playing. Once we held the ball and running on to it, there [were] holes galore.
"It would have been easy to fold, with no-one here, no-one watching, in certain ways it was like a training run. But I loved the character of the team."
Dixon said the physicality from the side improved in the second half and that gave halfback Aaron Smith, in his 150th game, licence to run the game.
"Once we got through and were able to penetrate, Nug [Smith] had options. Once you give the best halfback in the world options he can do anything. He just started being the conductor, orchestrating all round the show.
"For me then it is easy. You’ve just got to do your role and play."
Dixon said Smith was incredible and the scary thing was he can only get better.
The hooker said his phone has been going all day with messages before his 100th game.
"To read some of them I was actually taken back. I was quite nervous today. My kids were going to run out ... When I first played my first game I wanted more. I was like a shark and blood I suppose. Got more and more hungry for it."
Dixon was one of the stars of a Highlanders effort in a game which had a staggering 46 clean line breaks and was locked up 14-14 at the break. Kicking seemed to be a second option for players and the ball was all
over the field.
It was hard to single out one Highlander above another, such was the team performance, but the loose forward trio was excellent, Smith was simply outstanding and Josh Ioane was creative and hard to stop.