THE difference 13 days make. On September 13 Mark Gasnier trudged from Brookvale Oval after St George Illawarra's 38-6 qualifying final defeat to Manly and noted: "I feel crap but it's more for the loss than because I'm going."
By Friday, however, the 27-year-old's mood had lifted appreciably when, a hemisphere and a code away from the NRL, he strode from the Stade des Alpes a try-scoring victor on debut for Stade Francais.
"I'm happy, but more for the win than because of the try," he said after Stade's 32-25 win against Bourgoin.
And why wouldn't he be? For here, in the city known locally as the "Capital of the Alps", Gasnier began his ascent on a journey he hopes will lead to rugby union's peak.
Starting on the right wing for Stade Francais, the former rugby league star made the most of his few touches of the ball, crossing for the decisive try in the 38th minute and almost laying on another midway through the second half.
As expected, Gasnier experienced a few code-crossing teething problems in terms of field position and body height at the breakdown.
But for the most part his first 80 minutes in the 15-man code was a success and helped Stade Francais maintain their unbeaten run in this season's Top 14 competition.
Gasnier sounded the part, too, referring to league by its French name, "rugby 13", in his post-match press conference.
"There are similar principles here but the games are very different," he said. "Your roles change, so I think your expectations change. My role there early on was to chase a lot of kicks and try to catch them and win possession.
"I didn't expect to set the world on fire. It was more a matter of getting a feel of the game. It was more a feeling of relief than anything.
"You feel like you're starting again in a way because you're still learning the rules and the different scenarios."
Stade Francais coach Ewen McKenzie was impressed.
"Mark handled himself pretty well," McKenzie said. "The spacial aspects are the most difficult for him to adjust to and he showed great comprehension of those.
"He's a natural footballer. He has good instincts. I didn't expect it all to happen today but then I didn't expect him to go to the try line today.
"It was a good start to another career for him. Just experiencing the occasion and the atmosphere will be good for him."
Gasnier could hardly have hoped for a better debut. Playing the first rugby match at the state-of-the-art stadium, which stands in the shadow of the picturesque Chartreuse Mountains, the million-dollar winger experienced French rugby at its most scenic and passionate.
The 20,000 crowd consisted of Bourgoin's raucous drumming band and a generous smattering of Stade Francais fans, many of whom had made the six-hour drive from Paris.
Gasnier cut a striking figure when he strode out in the distinctive Stade Francais pink jersey and shorts.
The gaudy uniform proved more colourful than a match dominated by kicking and attritional tactics from both sides. Indeed, Gasnier has probably had sets of six that yielded more touches of the ball than his first 80 minutes of rugby.
But there were few complaints from the victorious Stade Francais camp, many of whom have gone out of their way to communicate with Gasnier in English while he undergoes thrice-weekly French lessons.
