After a few weeks in the dogbox, All Blacks fullback Jordie Barrett is poised for a reprieve, when a makeshift national team takes on Japan in Tokyo on Saturday.
Last sighted, the talented Hurricanes utility was a big part of the Rugby Championship loss to South Africa in Wellington, where his audacious - but misguided - quick throw-in allowed the Springboks to score an easy try that proved crucial in the final analysis.
He wasn't selected in the three tests since then, against Argentina, the return match against the Boks or last week's Bledisloe Cup 'dead rubber' against Australia - but he's been far from the selectors' minds.
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With the front-line All Blacks heading early to Europe, several on the fringe now have a chance to promote their causes. For the youngest Barrett, that means getting back on the horse.
"He's young, isn't he?" muses All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster.
"We're hard on players - we put them in a black jersey, they make some mistakes, then we kind of write them off to a certain degree, but we've got a number of very young backs that are still learning.
"At the same time, they're still confident enough to do what they're really good at on the park, so there's a balancing act as to how strict we are in those regards and how we treat mistakes.
"If we squash them every time, then we will lose that impulsiveness that's pretty special in this group."
Foster understands the value of having free spirits within a structured team - he's also had to oversee Damian McKenzie's growing pains over recent seasons and Barrett, 21, is firmly in that same category.
"All players, but particularly young players just want to play and so it's not easy for them when they don't get picked," says Foster. "But Jordie's been massively impressive.
"We've challenged him on how he learns and how he gathers information about the game and how he prepares, and quite frankly, I thin he's done a great job.
"I think the break's been good for him, but let's not deny the fact we still love his instincts.
"There's a natural talent about him that we don't want to curb too much, but there are some things on an international stage that you've got to have a bit more discipline in parts of the game."
With some many senior leaders departing early, Foster is also aware that fringe players like Barrett will need to carry an extra responsibility.
"There have been a number of players who have maybe been with us for a while, who will now have to do a bit more on the leadership side of the game," he says.
"That's the other side of the coin - you see guys who have been there and just done their job, and now have to go into a leadership role."
The All Blacks side to take on Japan will be named Thursday.
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