All Blacks first-five Beauden Barrett confessed he "feared the worst" after he plummeted into the turf in a nasty mid-air collision during the first test against the Springboks last weekend.
As he contested a high ball, Barrett was up-ended by chasing Springboks wing Kurt-Lee Arendse - who received a red card for the incident - and landed headfirst in a hearts-in-mouth moment during his side's 26-10 defeat at Nelspruit.
On Thursday, Barrett revealed the dark thoughts that flashed through his mind, as he lay prone on the Mbombela Stadium pitch, then the overwhelming relief once he was cleared of any serious injury.
"I did think of the worst instantly, especially when I was on the ground and, I can't remember who it was, told me to stay still," Barrett recalled.
"It wasn't until Doc came on and asked me could I move my fingers and toes, I was relieved I passed all those tests and eventually sat up and was able to walk off and get on with it.
The impact of his concussion suffered against Ireland in November had long-lasting effects, with Barrett admitting he'd feared his career may have been over.
"There was a fearful period there for a minute or so, where you do think of the worst," he continued "It's quite scary when you go over backwards and find yourself coming down on your head and shoulders.
"It’s part of the game, and every time we go up for the high ball we've got to be courageous."
The incident left a sour taste in All Blacks coach Ian Foster's mouth, as he questioned the legality of the Springboks' high-ball tactics in the aftermath of his team's fifth loss in six tests, calling Barrett's fall "probably the worst I've seen".
Barrett accepted that the aerial nature of the sport meant there's an inherent risk involved every time a player contests a bomb, particularly when playing against South Africa, who have made the high ball one of their primary weapons.
He doesn't expect anything to change in the Springboks' approach in the second test at Ellis Park on Sunday.
"Sometimes the chasers don't get it right," he said. "They have intentions to get up but find themselves running into the person, which happened at the weekend. As escorters, the players in front of me are doing their best to protect me, but it's not always the case.
"It's something we expected from South Africa ... the high ball collision and contest. I don't think they'll change anything. They'll look to make it a real contest and a 50-50, but we'll continue to be courageous, get up, and our escorters have to do a job to legally stop that chaser from running a good line and allowing that mid-air collision."
In regards to more immediate matters, the 31-year-old pleaded for fans to keep their faith with All Blacks amid their recent test struggles.
"Winning is a habit, but losing can be too," he said. "We've just got to remember how well we can do the simple things, why we play the game and what got us here in the first place, and not over-complicate things, not listen to too much external noise and just enjoy playing footy.
"All I ask is for our fans to believe in us, and have our backs because we certainly need that."
