Veteran centre Mike Tindall completed another chapter in his remarkable career when he was named in the England test team, battling back from serious injury to be the only World Cup winner chosen to face the All Blacks at Eden Park on Saturday.
Tindall's illustrious career was threatened when he suffered a horrific injury in the opening Six Nations match in February as England lost to Warren Gatland's Welsh side in London.
He fell on the heel of an opponent's boot and had his stomach crushed. He broke two ribs, punctured a lung and also had a hole pushed into his liver, causing serious internal bleeding.
Somehow Tindall recovered in six weeks to return to club action and now he is back in the English team to face the All Blacks in New Zealand again.
He was in the England side that toppled the All Blacks 15-13 in Wellington in 2003, an early season win that was instrumental in their ride to World Cup glory later that year.
This current England side is vastly different but is still reasonably experienced.
There is no room for New Zealand-born hooker Dylan Hartley in the 22 with right wing Topsy Ojo the only uncapped player in the starting XV.
Fill-in coach Rob Andrew has largely chosen club combinations in key areas.
That includes Sale halves Richard Wigglesworth and Charlie Hodgson while Wasps loose forwards James Haskell and Tom Rees are also in the mix.
And so is Tindall, alongside his Bath team mate Olly Barkley in the midfield.
Tindall was clearly delighted when the side was named in Auckland on Tuesday evening.
The 29-year-old Tindall missed last year's World Cup with a broken leg. But the injury at Twickenham was far more serious, leaving him in intensive care for four days.
"I've had a few knocks. It's nice to be back and hopefully this one will be a bit more lucky than the last few have been.
"It was a hell of a game that," Tindall said in reference to the injury against Wales.
"I lost a lot of blood. It wasn't great. But it's all done now."
Tindall watched New Zealand's 21-11 win over Ireland last weekend but didn't read too much into it as he approaches his 55th test cap at Eden Park.
"It's hard to take anything out of it really with the weather. But you saw the physicality at the contact and the pressure they put on at breakdown time. I'm sure they will play differently this weekend if the weather is nice."
He anticipated the All Blacks would try their luck through the midfield channels and he was relishing his matchup with Conrad Smith.
"If they get the chance they are going to have a real good crack. We know that, we have got to expect that but we have got a few good backs out there to also try and have a crack and make a real good game of it.
"Conrad Smith is a good player ... as a centre he does everything well.
"It's an interesting combo with him and Nonu and me and Barks have got to try and get on top of them and win that battle."
Tindall, who is partner to royal Zara Phillips, said England could take plenty from that 2003 win in Wellington as they approached this weekend's match although he believed this was very much a new start for both his side and the opposition.
"To go down to 13 men and still come away with a victory," he said shaking his head remembering that famous night in Wellington that was played in a swirling wind.
"I don't think it was the greatest game, there wasn't a load of attacking and Wilko's kicking stands out. But if we could reproduce the sort of intensity we had on that day, it would help us massively on the weekend.
"It's quite new starts for both sides. The All Blacks are trying to shake of that World Cup (last year) and come back as a force that they were before.
"We have also lost a lot of players."
Some things change but others remain the same and Tindall has been a fixture of some of the very best England sides in recent times with his bulldog spirit a hallmark of his play.
He's out to show that again in Auckland.
ENGLAND: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Topsy Ojo, 13 Mike Tindall, 12 Olly Barkley; 11 David Strettle, 10 Charlie Hodgson, 9 Richard Wigglesworth, 8 Luke Narraway, 7 Tom Rees, 6 James Haskell, 5 Steve Borthwick (c), 4 Tom Palmer, 3 Matt Stevens, 2 Lee Mears, 1 Andrew Sheridan. Reserves: David Paice, 17 Tim Payne, 18 Ben Kay, 19 Joe Worsley, 20 Danny Care, 21 Jamie Noon, 22 Mathew Tait.
