Something of a Baabaas veteran, Luatua was more prepared than others for the steady stream of hydration that accompanies this team's traditional build-up. But it doesn't make the prospect of facing the All Blacks any easier to get his head around.
"It definitely will be odd. It's going to give me goosebumps. I've never been on the receiving end of the All Blacks haka and to be standing there when the anthems are sung... I'll be singing the New Zealand anthem too. That's going to be very interesting but I'm going to go out there and try have some fun.
Luatua had lunch with Jerome Kaino this week and will come up against fellow former Blues team-mates Ofa Tu'ungafasi, Patrick Tuipulotu and rookie Matt Duffie, who makes his All Blacks debut off the bench.
The 26-year-old's move north to play under former Blues coach Pat Lam earlier this year shocked the rugby public - even catching the All Blacks off guard - mainly because Luatua had matured into a loose forward of genuine quality. He always had the athletic talent and offloading ability, but in his final Super Rugby campaign, his work-rate and attitude towards contact came full circle.
His primary motivation for signing a two-year deal at Bristol was to provide for, and set up, his extended family. The term leaves open the prospect of returning home at some point but, with Liam Squire and Vaea Fifita emerging, cracking the All Blacks again could prove difficult.
For now, this weekend offers the chance to gauge where his form is at. It will certainly be a big jump in class, with Bristol chasing promotion from the second-tier championship; a competition comparable to New Zealand's Heartland.
When Luatua first arrived in Bristol the climate and lifestyle weren't too dissimilar to back home. As for the quality and intensity of training... they were poles apart. In what is a waste of his pedigree and natural instincts in open field, his rugby life has become dominated by scrums and mauls.
"I'm trying to help our team understand it's not always about smash and grab - sometimes we've got to train smarter. We're slowly trying to integrate that into our team. Having Pat at the helm helps because he knows how much you can do without having to smash each other.
"It's a lot slower that's for sure - a lot more physical. It's similar to the South Africans where if they decide to run at you they run at you straight there's no footwork involved and they do a lot of gang tackles. It's maybe not as technical as Super Rugby. That's one area they can grow.
"Going to some of these clubs and seeing these guys play generally for the love of the game it's pretty inspiring.
"The All Blacks are the best team in the world and to go up against them will be a marker for me to see where I stack up, especially with my time here. I'm looking forward to seeing if I've improved... or seeing how cake I've become."
Overall, life is good. Luatua has enjoyed a batch of visitors to ward off homesickness and recently savoured his first holiday to Barcelona.
Trumping the All Blacks alongside a host of other Kiwis would only sweeten his rosy mood.
