When Henry Thomas was named in Warren Gatland's Rugby World Cup training squad there were many who questioned how on earth a former England prop could possibly represent Wales.
But the truth is you'd be hard pressed to find a player who has sacrificed more to play for Wales than the 31-year-old, who won seven caps for England - the last of which came in 2014 at Eden Park against the All Blacks.
Thomas was earning a living playing for reigning French champions Montpellier just three weeks ago, but a phone call from Wales forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys turned his world upside down.
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"Jonathan Humphreys called me the Wednesday before last," Thomas told WalesOnline in his first interview since his shock selection.
"He asked me if I would be keen to play for Wales at the World Cup if selected, and I immediately said yes because it's not an opportunity you turn down.
"He said we are going to have a final selection meeting on Monday, and your name is in the mix.
"After training on Monday he left me a voicemail and told me to call him back so I did.
"He said the squad is about to be announced and you're in."
For the vast majority of players, getting called into an international squad would trigger feelings of happiness and even ecstasy.
Thomas experienced both those feelings but unlike most other players, getting selected to play test rugby has come with some severe consequences.
"Straight away I rung my parents, and my dad managed to stay quite neutral even though he's incredibly excited about the whole thing," said Thomas.
"It took a bit of time to settle in really because I knew I had a decision to make. After my conversation with Jonathan Humphreys the week before, Philippe Saint-André, the Montpellier director of rugby, had heard through someone else that it was a possibility.
"He made it clear to me right from the start that if I was to go with Wales to the World Cup then it would be a change of terms to my contract, and I'd have to leave Montpellier.
"I was unbelievably excited with the opportunity but I knew there was a decision to be made, and I had to understand where my position in the squad was.
"They (Wales) obviously couldn't give any guarantees that I am going to get through the training camp but I made the decision to go with Wales.
"Phillipe gave me until the end of the week to make a decision, and I had to take everything into consideration, but I chose Wales.
"I wont be at Montpellier next season now which is tough because I'd love to do both but it didn't work out.
"They need players for during the World Cup, and if I'm away then that messes it up.
"Currently I haven't got a club but I'll leave that down to my agent to try to work something out for next season.
"My focus is to give absolutely everything during the training camps in the summer, and prove to everyone that I deserve to be there.
"I'm sure there's some sceptical players and fans who will question my reasons for being there but I'm going to show my coaches and future teammates that I'm committed and here for the right reasons."
Thomas is the one of many players who has benefitted from the recent change to World Rugby's eligibility criteria.
Players are now permitted to switch allegiances to other nations after a three-year stand-down period, should either the person in question, their parents, or grandparents be born there.
In Thomas' case he qualifies for Wales courtesy of his father Nigel who hails from Port Tennant, in Swansea.
Despite growing up in England, Thomas has always had a strong affinity with Wales.
"My dad has had a massive influence on my life," he said.
"When I was a kid, especially, my dad took me to a lot of Wales games so I definitely had some split allegiances.
"But obviously I was brought up and went to school in England so when I went into my teens I got into the England pathway.
"I won't lie, from there I supported England. I don't want to pretend to be a lost Welshman who ended up in England.
"I am half Welsh but I grew up in England, and that's what it is.
"My dad did try to push me along the Welsh rugby pathways when I was younger, and I went to Welsh Exiles training camps in London and Newport.
"It didn't work out then because I was part of the Bristol junior academy set-up alongside Taulupe Faletau. I was in the English system so I ended up going with them but I've always had a strong affinity with Wales, and I'm now 100 % in the Welsh corner."
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There are many who are far from comfortable with World Rugby's eligibility laws, insisting a player should only represent the country of his birth, and certainly not be allowed to change.
As always the majority of Welsh supporters were supportive of Gatland's decision to include Thomas in his squad, understanding it is a professional game, while appreciating many players have dual nationalities courtesy of parents born in different countries.
Still, it didn't stop the vocal minority from questioning his selection but Thomas is confident he will prove his commitment to Wales over the coming months.
"Everyone is entitled to an opinion, that's their prerogative," he said.
"The only way I can prove myself to them is by performing if I get the chance to wear the red jersey.
"I've seen first hand the passion of the Welsh on game day.
"I've got my Welsh roots and my Welsh family. I don't qualify from some distant great-great grandparent.
"I remember my dad watching me play against Wales for England, and I've never seen him so torn in my life.
"He didn't want England to win, he couldn't bring himself to support me against Wales!
"I have to show people how commited I am on a daily basis once I link up with the squad in the training camps.
"If I get a chance to go through to the next stage it's about what people see on the pitch."
It is not controversial to say Wales have struggled in the front-five during recent seasons, with Gatland admitting as much this week.
Tighthead prop is an area where Wales are threadbare. Tomas Francis has done a sterling job since being selected out of obscurity back in 2015, while Dillon Lewis gives them dynamism around the park, but the scrummaging dominance needed.
Cardiff prop Keiron Assiratti has shown promise, stuffing a powerful Sale Sharks scrum recently in the Challenge Cup, while the jury is out on his club teammate Will Davies-King.
All things considered, Thomas' selection is a shrewd move by Gatland. Here is a man who has scrummaged to an extremely high level in the Gallagher Premiership for both Sale Sharks, and Bath while he helped Montpellier win the Top 14 last season.
Indeed, if it wasn't for a series of injuries he'd have surely won more than seven caps for England.
"Playing in the Top 14, my set-piece game is absolutely paramount," he said when asked what his point of difference is.
"The league is full of massive blokes, and massive packs. For you to get the respect as a prop, and to get selected in the first place you have to have a strong set-piece game, especially for a side with title ambitions like Montpellier.
"For me throughout my career my point of difference was playing with ball in hand, and having skills which a lot of other props don't have.
"As I've got older and matured as a player I know how important set-piece is, the scrums and mauls.
"During my time in the Top 14 I've put a lot more emphasis on my scrummaging and it's really improved.
"I think by playing in the Top 14 over the past couple of years I've proved how strong a scrummager I am.
"I'm not the biggest tighthead, and scrummaging was an area of my game I really had to work hard on as a youngster, but I've proven a lot of people in the Top 14 wrong by how aggressive a scrummager I am.
"I back myself to have a crack at anyone.
"For years my ball carrying was my point of difference but I had to adapt my game playing in France because the teams are far more direct than I was used to playing in the Premiership."
Wales have gone through a turbulent period over the past couple of years, losing home tests to Italy and Georgia which cost former coach Wayne Pivac his job, while they finished a disappointing fifth in the Six Nations.
While Thomas is respectful of the fact he has not linked up with the squad yet he does believe Wales have the quality of personnel to turn around their fortunes at the World Cup.
"I think Wales have the players to compete, 100%," he said.
"The expectation won't be as high from the outside but I imagine there'll be a lot of confidence from within the camp.
"Wales teams have been written off in the past but have shown up at the World Cup.
"There's a very good core to this team, and a good mix of experience and youth.
"I haven't been in camp yet but I'm sure we'll put the work in, and it'll be an exciting World Cup.
"I've spent years playing with Rhys Priestland, Luke Charteris, and Paul James at Bath and they told me how brutal these training camps are. I'm looking forward to it.
"If we want to compete at this World Cup, which I think we will, these are the sort of building blocks you have to put in place.
"We need to be one of the fittest teams in the competitions.
"It's going to be horrible but if you aren't at least half as excited for it you probably aren't in the right place."
With Thomas set to leave Montpellier, under the Professional Rugby Board's selection criteria he will have to join a Welsh region if he is to play for Wales, having now been selected in a squad.
"Of course it's something I'll definitely look at," he said when asked if he'd join a Welsh region.
"Making the decision to leave Montpellier was tough because I've loved living there and playing for such a special club but I've now got to pack up my life and move back to the UK.
"I'll make a decision in due course but I've just got to focus on putting my best foot forward in the training camps.
"I'll be under massive pressure because by then I'll be without a club.
"The stakes are very high for me and I'm going to give everything to make this World Cup.
"My mentality will be I want this and I need this but everyone will be fighting tooth and nail to make sure they are in the final squad."
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