While Hurricanes captain Brad Shields insists that his focus this season remains on a Super Rugby title, there was no denying the underlying sense of enthusiasm over his recent international call-up.
This week, the flanker was named to England's squad for their upcoming tour to South Africa, his desire to play test rugby now on the brink of being fulfilled after continually being ignored by the All Blacks selectors.
"Obviously, I'm pretty excited, but at the same time I've got to put my Hurricanes jersey on for the next few weeks and make sure I give this team 100 percent, and when I put my boots on I'm ready to do my best," Shields told media after his team's 36-15 win over the Blues.
"I can't wait to get stuck in, but first thing's first."
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- Eddie Jones defends Shields selection
- Shields released early for England duty
New Zealand Rugby released him from his contract on Thursday, "reluctantly" making him available for Eddie Jones' side's three-test tour in June by way of a "special exception".
"It wasn't quite clicking in New Zealand, so the other option was this opportunity. I got some really good advice from some people around me that are really close and the next step for me was to look abroad.
"I'm pretty lucky in this situation that I've got some heritage. At the end of the day, I'm pretty happy with my decision."
The former New Zealand U20 representative qualifies for England via his British parents and has signed on with English Premiership side Wasps for next season.
"The idea was that there was an opportunity out there that I could potentially push for that spot," said Shields of his shift in allegiance.
"They came to me, and I wanted to put my best foot out there and make sure I sign for a club over there that was going to promote me, and I could play well for."
The 27-year-old will become the latest in a string of New Zealand-born players to represent England, including captain Dylan Hartley, Shontayne Hape, Thomas Waldrom and Ben Te'o.
Being the new foreign face at training is something Shields admits may be a "tricky situation" to negotiate, but he says he'll simply let his rugby do the talking.
"I think it's how you play on the footy field that's going to matter the most. You earn respect by playing well.
"I just have to make sure I put my head down and go to work, like I try to do every week for the Hurricanes."
The Masterton-product is just three games shy of bringing up his century for the Wellington-based franchise. He'll become the 14th player to do so and the only one not to have also represented the All Blacks.
Head coach Chris Boyd said the team were delighted for Shields, whose off-field impact matched what he brought to the pitch week-in and week-out.
"There's nothing he doesn’t do," said Boyd. "He's the guy who shakes everyone's hand.
"He's the guys picking up gear at the end of training. He's the guy that when somebody's a bit down, he's really empathetic.
"He's the sort of guy that you'd be really happy that your daughter married."
Meanwhile, the victory over the Blues marks the Hurricanes' ninth straight and sees them ascend to the top of the Super Rugby ladder.
After a lacklustre first 40 minutes, the Hurricanes streaked clear in the second half, something both Shields and Boyd put down to the efforts of their bench players, particularly All Blacks halfback TJ Perenara.
"We were disappointed with the first half and probably, in the end, the guys with 16-23 on their backs, when they came in, probably made the difference," said Boyd. "The fresh legs were really good.
"The way the game was at that point, we needed a bit of a spark and [Perenara] instantly gave us that. His energy on attack and defence, his commitment around the place and way he organises other people is really important to us."
Shields added: "Our patience in that second half to build phases was good. We just wanted to be direct and recycle ball really quick, and TJ [Perenara] came on and made a massive impact in that area."
Their stint at No. 1 may be short-lived, however, with the red-hot Crusaders likely to claim top spot with a win over the struggling Waratahs at AMI Stadium on Saturday.
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