South Africa utility back Ethan Hooker, who will start for the Springboks on Saturday against New Zealand in the Rugby Championship, is making the most of a 'dream come true' trip to the Land of the Long White Cloud.
Hooker, who will be making his third appearance for the Boks as they look to recover from defeat at Eden Park on Saturday, was named in a new look backline by head coach Rassie Erasmus. He came off the bench in Auckland, and is relishing the chance to start.
The Sharks player said on the SA Rugby website: "After playing last week and feeling the intensity of the game, it made me realise the difference between playing Vodacom URC and international rugby, so I'm just very keen to play this weekend.
"I've never been to New Zealand before, so the jetlag was something new for me, but I remember waking up early to watch matches between the sides with my father, so driving to Eden Park last week was very special.
"Coming to New Zealand and playing here is obviously a dream come true, and I just want to go out there and make the most of the opportunity."
The defending Rugby Championship holder are in hot water after two defeats out of three in the campaign so far, and need a win against the All Blacks to stay in the title race this season.
Erasmus explained his decision to change the backline with the results in mind: "This is an exciting team, which we believe will provide us with the forward power we require, and spark in the backline against a quality All Blacks side.
"We've maintained consistency in selection to a large degree in the last few matches, but apart from what we feel some of the players selected can add to our attack, we'd like to see what some of the players can do against the top-ranked team in the world.
"This is a vital match for our Castle Lager Rugby Championship campaign, and we feel some fresh legs and energy are what we need to come away with the desired result."
Hooker added of that pressure to save the day: "There's definitely nerves and excitement, especially with the significance of the match in the title race, so it's a must-win game.
"The excitement comes from being on the pitch and being able to represent your country, and the nerves come from the stage you are playing on. So it's important to find the balance between those two on the day, so that you don't get too nervous or excited, and keep a calm head going into the game."
He's been getting help at training when it comes to steadying the nerves, with experienced centre pairing Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende leading the rookies in their combinations.
Hooker added: "We are privileged to have guys like Jesse and Damian in the squad - they've calmed us down a lot.
"We've been training with them for a few months now, and learning from them in the process, which will give us confidence going onto the pitch.
"We definitely won't be playing with fear, as some people think. Our goal is to go out there and play as well as we can, just as any other player would.
"The combinations are working really well at training, and in general, the guys are not feeling pressure, which is a positive that we can take into this weekend."
Springboks team:
15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Damian Willemse, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Lood de Jager (Wild Knights), 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche
Replacements: 16 Marnus van der Merwe (Scarlets), 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Grant Williams, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Andre Esterhuizen