The All Blacks squad announcement on Sunday morning was almost the last thing on Alex Hodgman's mind.
The Blues prop interpreted his omission from the North v South game as an indication he wasn't in the national selection frame and had attended his Sunday church service, via Zoom, without having given it a second thought.
"Afterwards, I checked my phone and it was blowing up," Hodgman recalls. "I was pretty shocked.
"The family was so happy, I was completely blindsided. I didn't get to participate in North v South obviously, but I must've worked pretty hard during Super Rugby, so I was pretty happy when I finally got the call-up."
The 27-year-old Aucklander had spent the last five years in Christchurch, where he'd made a handful of appearances for the Crusaders and claimed a few Mitre 10 Cup titles with Canterbury.
Recently married and with fatherhood on its way, Hodgman thought the timing was right to move back north, where his game has gone from strength to strength within the Blues system.
"[The Blues coaches] have just really helped me grow," he says. "I was always asking questions and they were always questioning me.
"I've been to quite a few different environments and I've taken something special from each of them. Now I'm just trying to grab as much as I can... try to grow my game as much as I can on and off the field."
All Blacks coach Ian Foster says Hodgman's development as a scrummager won him selection, the final piece of the puzzle to complement his powerful and mobile running game, and bruising defence.
"I think it's about perseverance," says Hodgman. "If you're not persevering and you're always looking for the easy way out, you can't really grind or push yourself that hard.
"Eventually you'll be found out and the coaches will want to see more of you."
Hodgman will have an opportunity to further stake his claim for game-day selection when he appears for Auckland in their Mitre 10 Cup season-opener against Otago on Saturday.
Auckland coach Alama Ieremia has had Hodgman earmarked as a prospect since his time with Samoa and isn't surprised in the least with the prop's rise.
"He's a true professional," Ieremia says. "I've had an eye on him for a long time.
"He's come through, and developed and matured - his game has improved in certain areas."
Ieremia believes Hodgman is the archetypal modern front-rower.
"He's gone along with the trend with front-rowers - a big, ball-carrying loosehead prop who does the hard work, but can also razzle.
"I'm just really proud of him. He's done a lot of work."
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