Reflecting on his 50 appearances for the Blues, captain Dalton Papalii inadvertently sums up the transformation of the franchise under coach Leon MacDonald.
The All Blacks flanker has brought up his half-ton against the Chiefs with a collective show of resilience that left opponents frustrated and scoreless, despite playing almost half an hour shorthanded - including six minutes down to 13.
Pressed, MacDonald concedes the 25-0 bonus-point victory at Hamilton's FMG Stadium was probably the most impressive of his three-plus seasons at the helm of the previously directionless Auckland outfit. For a couple of hours, it puts the Blues atop the Super Rugby Pacific table, until the Brumbies go an extra game ahead in the weaker Australian conference.
Perhaps more significantly, their six-game winning streak in a season marred only by a last-gasp Hurricanes try in the opening round has them ahead of their archrivals and Super Rugby powerhouses, the Crusaders, with a visit to Christchurch looming in five days.
"I've been really proud of a few performances," admits MacDonald. "Obviously, winning the [Super Rugby Trans Tasman] final last year, I was proud of that.
"We had a massive win over in Cape Town against a really strong Stormers team, but this would top them both, just in terms of the quality of opposition at home and coming off three games last week. To turn around and put that sort of energy on the park makes me hugely proud."
Back to Papalii's 50, which began in 2018 - the season before MacDonald began his stewardship - when the Blues finished last among New Zealand teams.
"Just before the game, my old man messaged me and said this was where I made my debut, so my first game and 50th game at this stadium," he said. "The first game didn't really go our way, but the 50th, we got a pretty good win and we can be happy.
"The goal now is we can't really get complacent, we've got to keep building next week... we've got a big week next week."
Before MacDonald ventured north, leaving his role as Crusaders assistant, the notion that the Blues could sustain three yellow cards - maybe that part's not so unbelievable - and win, let alone keeping the opposition scoreless, would have seemed absurd.
The turnaround hasn't been sudden, but it has been marked, even across the current campaign.
Remember that Ardie Savea gamewinner in February, when the Blues somehow let an 18-point lead slip in the final 12 minutes?
When halfback Sam Nock joined veteran lock Luke Romano in the 'sin bin' moments before halftime on Saturday, the cityslickers were as vulnerable as they have ever been, but responded with enough resolve to suggest they may finally have the measure of their nemises from the mainland.
"To be honest, we didn't want it to go that way, but we've built a culture, especially this year, that the boys are working hard for each other," said Papalii, 24. "In most teams I've been in, you go into panic stations, but out there, we didn't even feel stressed.
"When the boys were making tackles, they were getting straight back up on their feet and getting back in the line. We didn't feel stressed out there, and it's a credit to the boys and the culture we have here."
Most teams strive for that simple mentality, but very few achieve it, and the more success it brings, the more you believe in its power.
Of course, it helps to have the right players for the occasion. Two-time World Player of the Year Beauden Barrett picked the right time to reassure NZ rugby fans his powers have not been diminished by recent concussion concerns.
"Beauden was fantastic," claimed MacDonald. "His ability to control field position, especially when we were down to 13 men... he was smart.
"He stuck the ball in the air and kept the ball in front of the forwards, and they had the energy to keep playing.
"When your back's against the wall like that, we had the choice of absorbing it, but we decided to counterpunch and come back at them. We can be proud of that and it gives us a lot of confidence going into what will be a huge game this week."
Back to Papalii's 50th...
"I probably don't have the words in my vocab to express it," he said. "This was the team I always wanted to play for growing up.
"I've been standing on the shoulders of giants - the people that game before me - and learning off them. Some of the old boys were messaging me, 'Congrats on the 50th', it means a lot.
"I wouldn't want to do it for any other team, especially with this group and this year, it's really made it special.
"Fifty now and let's see how many more games I can go."
The skipper will hope his team's newfound swagger can last at least one more.
Join us at 7pm Friday for live updates of the Crusaders v Blues Super Rugby Pacific clash
More to come
