The toughest moment of Sam Whitelock's 99-test All Blacks career sparked his rise as one of the world's premier lock forwards.
On Saturday night, the 29-year-old will play his 100th test in the 2018 Rugby Championship opener against the Wallabies.
Whitelock made his debut against Ireland in 2010, coming off the bench and scoring two tries in a 38-point win for the All Blacks
Since that cold night in New Plymouth, the Crusaders captain has been an essential part of the most dominant era in international rugby history.
Two World Cup wins, several Rugby Championship titles, a British Grand Slam and the retention of the Bledisloe Cup - Whitelock is no stranger to success in an All Black jersey.
But it could have been a lot different if he had hung his head, after a run of sub-par performances in 2012 saw him dropped by coach Steve Hansen.
Brodie Retallick replaced Whitelock for the Wellington test against Argentina, with Hansen serving up a taste of reality for his star lock.
Hansen claimed that Retallick and Luke Romano were simply playing at a higher standard than Whitelock, and he was left with no choice, but to make a change.
Whitelock returned a fortnight later against Australia and has barely missed a test since.
"I probably just took things for granted," Whitelock said, ahead of the test in Sydney.
"I was playing alright, but it wasn't at the level you would expect from the senior lock.
"I took some good learnings from that experience and benefited from that, rather than sit on my bum and be sorry for myself."
In the years since, Whitelock has combined with the man who replaced him against the Pumas to formed the most dominant lock partnership in world rugby.
Retallick said Whitelock was unique, because he set such high standards, not just for himself, but the whole team.
"He is a perfectionist and everything has to be right," Retallick said. "He has high standards and for everyone around him, that is the expectation.
"I have been lucky enough to play quite a few of my tests alongside Sam and it's been enjoyable, as we work so well together."
Whitelock will hope to end his historic night a winner, something the All Blacks failed to do the last time they faced the Wallabies.
Australia topped the world champions 23-18 in Brisbane last year, snapping a seven-match losing streak against New Zealand.
Whitelock spoke of a real intensity in camp this week, as the All Blacks looked for a slice of revenge.
"The Bledisloe Cup is special for us," Whitelock said. "It has that little bit of extra motivation to it and you can really feel it this week - the guys are up to it.
"The last time we played then in Brisbane, it wasn't where we needed to be.
"They probably had the upper hand over us for a large proportion of those three games [2017], so there is a lot of motivation on our side to rectify that."
Playing 100 tests has been in Whitelock's sights since the very early stages of his career.
At that time, no All Black had reached the century mark, with Mils Muliaina, Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Keven Mealamu, Owen Franks, Kieran Read, Ma’a Nonu and Tony Woodcock all reaching the milestone since.
Whitelock is not one to reflect on hs previous test exploits, as he plots at least another half-decade in the All Blacks jersey.
"The first couple of years was all about enjoying the environment, but I felt like I was going alright," Whitelock said.
"We sat down as a group and looked at some goals to achieve as individuals, and at that stage, no-one had done that, so it kind of started from there for me.
"It's gone by pretty quick. I'll take some time after the game to look back at some highlights, but it's been a great ride so far and I'm looking forward to a few more."
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