All Blacks newcomer Du'Plessis Kirifi still pinches himself after making it on the plane to Sydney.
The Wellington skipper has been rewarded for his strong domestic form at flanker and could be in line for his Test debut this weekend against the Wallabies.
Speaking to Sky's The Breakdown, Kirifi opened up on the moment he shared the news with his proud father.
"The old man was pretty stoked, took him a few minutes to come down from planet Jupiter," he said with a beaming smile.
"We had a pretty good chat. He said this opportunity has come for a reason but doesn't mean you stop working now, put your head down and hand up and keep working even harder.
"Pretty humbling advice from him. Dad is always one to keep me grounded."
Kirifi is in the side as cover for Ardie Savea, who is on paternity leave after becoming a father again.
His Hurricanes protege says the chance to play in Saturday's Bledisloe Cup clash is a huge honour.
"The possibility of pulling on the black jersey for the first time is a dream come truel. It's probably something I can't understand yet and probably can't put into words yet.
"If that opportunity came, it would be amazing and mean a lot to me and the people that helped me get here."
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