The breakdown is the one area which has come under the spotlight more than any other in recent years, as rugby's brightest brains try to make a free flowing game.
But judging by events so far this season, they have some way to go.
Countless breakdowns have led to free kicks and turnover ball, leading to many games lacking structure and continuity.
In other collision sports, such as American football and rugby league, there is in effect no breakdown - the contest for possession is over when a player is tackled.
But not in rugby union. Once a player is tackled, the battle for possession is all on. And that is when someone like Boys comes into his own.
"You've got to go flying in and go for it. If you hold back, then you've lost," Boys said.
"Last weekend they had three really quick loosies so we had to be right on our game. I thought we did pretty well and they did not get too far ahead of us."
Boys said the trick to getting the breakdown was not getting trapped in the wrong position.
"I think guys get in there and just get trapped by another player and the referee just has no option. He has to give a penalty."
Boys (25) said the Highlanders had trained hard in the pre-season for the breakdown, but it was simply about trying to get hands on the ball quickly and then getting the ball away.
Boys had his first start last Saturday against the Chiefs and was hoping for more time this week against the Cheetahs.
He said his body felt fine after the match, although he was blowing throughout the match.
"That's the first time I've played 80 minutes for a good while. The last 20 minutes I started to feel it."
Boys was happy with his match, making all his tackles and getting a couple of turnovers.
But he, like the rest of the side, was not happy with the result, as the Chiefs won 14-10.
Boys said the side needed to change the way it played when it took on the Cheetahs at Carisbrook this Saturday.
"They are a big side, as most of the South African teams are, and so we need to take the game line away from them. Once they get a bit of steam up they can be hard to stop."
He said the Highlanders remained positive, and just needed to play as a team and cut out the handling errors.
"We've talked about it and we need to build more phases and play more footy in their half."
Boys was brought up in the Hakataramea Valley, and then played for Otago, but was loaned out to Southland and then moved there permanently, for the 2007 season.
He was signed with the Stags until the end of next season, and had just bought a property on the outskirts of Invercargill with just under 6ha, although his budding farming career has yet to begin, as professional rugby gets in the way.
If he needs a farmer to look after his land when he is away his parents are not too far away.
They sold their farm and are now settled in Invercargill, and follow their son's rugby career round the country.
