Sport is often about being in the right place at the right time and Blues hooker Kurt Eklund is carving out a reputation for doing just that.
Eklund, 30, has become the first Blues hooker to score a hat-trick of tries, passing the scoring feats of an Auckland and All Blacks legend.
Eklund scored three tries in the Blues' 46-16 win over Moana Pasifika on Saturday, after a double against the Hurricanes in round one, but he's not claiming any responsibility for it.
"Full credit to the lads," Eklund told Newshub. "I didn't have much to do with it, just hang onto the end of it and get the pats on the back."
Eklund was a late bloomer to Super Rugby, only signing with the Blues in 2020 in his late 20s, but he's making up for lost time.
He's now the only Blues hooker to score a hat-trick and has crossed the line 12 times in only 29 games.
Eklund's five tries make Super Rugby Pacific's joint leading tryscorer this season, but he never thought scoring tries would be his job.
"I think about and wonder why hookers weren't scoring more back in the day, but I think that's like our specialty now," he questioned.
"Every year, the game's getting faster and hits are getting bigger, and I think it's a better spectacle for everybody else now as well."
Giving crowds something to cheer about, Eklund now has more tries tohis name than legendary Blues hooker Keven Mealamu.
By comparison, Mealamu scored 11 tries in his 164 games for the Blues, with Eklund bettering his mark in 135 fewer games.
"I looked up to him a lot growing up and I hope he isn't too angry with me," Eklund joked, but he's hoping for a few more yet.
"Work off the boys' hard work and go from there, and take all the credit, that's it."
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