The All Blacks' squad announcement couldn't have come at a better time for the new faces in the team, who were able to give their dads the best Father's Day gift of their lives.
That was certainly the case for Crusaders loose forward Cullen Grace, who was at home in Timaru to celebrate his surprise selection with arguably the country's proudest dad.
Back at work today, Eddie Grace was still sporting a wide smile, after Sunday's big news.
"I was hopeful," he tells Newshub. "But definitely not expecting it."
The newly named All Black is well aware he was able to give the ultimate gift.
"Yes, he would have been loving it actually," Grace says.
"I had a quiet beer with my old man and watched the announcement. He was really proud."
And Dad isn't the only person still smiling, with former Timaru Boys High School coach Edward Patterson celebrating a momentous occasion for his school.
"This is something special for this school," Patterson says. "To be honest, it felt like he was just sitting in assembly the other day."
Grace once singlehandedly helped his first XV dominate a Christ's College team coached by now-Canterbury coach Reuben Thorne.
"You couldn't miss him," Thorne recalls. "He was doing what he does now at that level, cutting people in half with his big shoulders."
Since then, those big shoulders have dominated at provincial and super level.
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