Quade Cooper and Huia Edmonds are preparing for their first tests against their homeland in the third Bledisloe Cup international at ANZ Stadium after both growing up as All Black fans.
Cooper's Waikato roots are well known -- he used to kick a ball around the backyard with future All Black Richard Kahui before relocating across the Tasman as a teenager.
Legend has it Cooper switched sides in the stands at ANZ Stadium when his hero Carlos Spencer had that pass intercepted by Stirling Mortlock in the 2003 World Cup semifinal.
For Edmonds, Zinzan Brooke was an idol and the All Blacks his team until older brother Manny was selected for the Wallabies in 1998.
Although they now regard themselves as fair dinkum Aussies, both still have connections to their birthplaces.
Cooper still has whanau in south Waikato; Edmonds' six-month-old brother Joel is buried in Ashburton cemetery.
While his sibling's premature death means the South Island always has a sombre connotation for Edmonds, a test cap against the All Blacks will be a moment to savour, another justification for not signing for Agen in February.
The elder Edmonds, who played just two tests in four years thanks to Stephen Larkham's presence, wanted Huia to continue his journeyman career in France and the 28-year-old was almost convinced.
Like Manny, Huia had been condemned to playing second best in Australian rugby's top echelon.
Brendon Cannon had a mortgage on the hooker's role at the NSW Waratahs when Edmonds was starting out in 2002. Three years later he took up an option with Western Province and the Stormers, where former Springbok Schalk Brits was the man.
Edmonds returned home in 2008 and settled in Canberra and on to a new bench behind Stephen Moore.
It took an injury to Moore -- a broken jaw against the Crusaders at Christchurch in May -- for Edmonds to finally be measured up for Wallabies gear.
With Tatafu Polota-Nau already unavailable through injury, Edmonds and Saia Faingaa were Robbie Deans' hookers of choice for the June internationals.
Edmonds made a rare appearance with a "single digit" on his back against Fiji in June, and although the jersey had great significance he gave it up for his uncle, former New Zealand Maori front rower Huia Gordon.
It was an impressive gesture considering Edmonds realised his international career might be measured in minutes rather than caps.
And those fears were justified when Moore was deemed fit for the Tri-Nations and Faingaa was the only other hooker included.
Non-selection was a bitter blow for Edmonds though he never regretted turning down the euros to fulfil his dream, however short-lived.
"It's always been my goal and I knew this year could be my last opportunity."
Edmonds was resigned to having the start against Fiji and two substitute appearances against England as his test resume, even as he watched Faingaa lift Flip van der Merwe into a dangerous position in Bloemfontein last weekend.
"I thought it was a bad tackle and he's yellow carded but I didn't think he'd get suspended," Edmonds said.
"Then I started getting calls asking if I'd been called up yet. That's when I hoped I'd get another chance."
Faingaa was duly banned for two weeks and Edmonds now faces the transition from two months of Sydney club rugby to the Tri-Nations finale.
"It's going to be a big jump," he admitted.
"It's hard in Australian rugby because you don't have an NPC or a Currie Cup.
"I still wake up sore the next day though, you're still playing Super 14 players and Wallabies."
Given his Maori heritage, confronting the haka will obviously ease any lingering pain the morning after.
"Growing up you watch the All Blacks and know the haka's a pretty big deal for the Kiwis. Watching it on TV, you just want to be in front of it."
