Ask Benji Marshall seven years ago would he ever play for his country again, he'd say definitely. Yes. It's all I want to do, and I'm good enough.
Little would he know he'd have to wait 2443 days to again pull on the black and white jersey, and the exhaustion of waiting overflowed at Mt Smart on Saturday.
Marshall's selection in the Kiwis squad for the Test between New Zealand and Tonga came off the back of solid club form, something that eluded him following his most recent Test in 2012 when he skippered the Kiwis to a narrow loss to Australia in Townsville.
A switch to the 15-man code didn't go to plan either, but a renaissance at Wests Tigers brought the veteran back to the international game, with club coach Michael Maguire returning the old head to the New Zealand fold.
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As the national anthem echoed throughout the stadium on Saturday, it all got too much for the 34-year-old, Marshall breaking down in tears.
To his left was Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, with skipper Dallin Watene-Zelezniak to his right, both players comforting their mate before all took part in a rousing haka rendition.
The emotions from Benji 😩#OceaniaCup pic.twitter.com/foSSqmQy56
— NRL (@NRL) June 22, 2019
In waiting to finally add to his 27 Test caps, Marshall expected his emotions to get the better of him on game day.
"I'm paying about $1.01 to cry [during the anthem], so don't bet on it," Marshall said through the week.
"It's actually been quite emotional for me, and seeing my family's reaction to the news that I am playing on the weekend... I lost it hearing how much it meant to them.
"I didn't really understand how much it meant to them until this moment... you forget when you are actually in it how much it means to other people."
Saturday's match also marks the first ever occasion in which Marshall, Shaun Johnson and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck will share the Kiwis jersey.
Regardless of Saturday's result, with Mate Ma'a Tonga hungry to repeat their 2017 World Cup upset, many salivated at the prospect of the star trio getting up to their famous tricks in the same game.
That included Johnson himself, who like many others, had to wait to share the taste of international footy with his hero again.
"I probably didn't think I'd get to play with him again. The fact that we might get a chance to do that is really exciting," Johnson said of Marshall.
"You're talking about a guy who has done more for this game in New Zealand than any other player.
"Growing up I was in the backyard calling his name [doing his tricks] and I am sure a lot of other boys were too."
