Jamison Gibson-Park couldn't "kick snow off a rope" when he left the Hurricanes for Leinster.
Six years on, the man who will set the fast tempo tomorrow for the Blues' latest attempt to win a fifth Champions Cup final is a little taken aback with how it has all worked out.
He could have remained in New Zealand - the Hurricanes wanted him to stay - but in late 2015, the offer came from Leinster to move across the world.
"It took a bit of consideration but after looking at what was going on over here, it was a massive opportunity," Gibson-Park recalled.
"I wasn’t really looking to leave, to be honest. I think they were looking to re-sign me at the time but then Leinster came in November time, just before Christmas, they were obviously looking for 9s.
"That took a bit of consideration, but I went for it in the end. It was obviously a pretty big move, it paid off."
He enjoyed winning a Super Rugby crown in his seven months with the Hurricanes but there was an asterisk that went with that.
"I sat behind TJ (Perenara) for the whole year and didn’t play a whole lot of rugby, he was the main man," Gibson-Park said.
"I learned a lot that year. There were a lot of good players. (Victor) Vito was there, who is obviously at La Rochelle now. I think just winning was the overall high."
He turned to the Kiwi network at Leinster before making his decision to move. Happy with what he was told, he joined up with his new team-mates in May 2016.
“Obviously Isa (Nacewa) was here, and Hayden Triggs, they were my two points of contact," Gibson-Park recalled.
"They said it was an unbelievable set-up. Isa obviously spoke very highly of the place. It’s been a bit of a journey, I suppose."
The scrum-half seized his chance and is now not just Leinster's first-choice no 9, but Ireland's too.
"Yeah, probably a little bit surprised to be honest," said the 28-year-old, reflecting on the path he has taken to making his first start in a European final.
"Certainly when I first got here, I wouldn't have seen myself getting to this level and playing for Ireland. It's been pretty unreal and hopefully there's still a bit more to go.
"Even when I got here, I still couldn't kick snow off a rope. There's been a bit of a journey over the last few years.
"Still a fair way to go, but it's certainly a skill I've had to get better at."
Luke McGrath has been the go-to first-choice in the position for much of Gibson-Park's time with Leinster, but Andy Farrell put his faith in the Kiwi last year and his lightning fast-paced work has earned him top billing now at the province, too.
He puts it down to application. "I think just with age and a little bit of maturity now, you just start to care more about the day to day, building better habits and that sort of stuff.
"I think that's probably what I put a lot of the rise down to.
"I'm miles different now (to when he joined). I suppose leadership is probably the other big thing.
"I've had the privilege of working with some pretty unbelievable rugby brains over the last five, six years, and I've certainly learned a lot about myself and a lot about the game as well.
"I have to thank those guys a lot, Stu (Lancaster) and Leo, and obviously having worked with players like Johnny (Sexton) and Isa. I have to give a lot of credit to them as well."
Gibson-Park confesses that he was a "nervous wreck" working with Sexton at first, given the Dubliner's competitive nature.
"He’s probably the most driven I’ve ever seen, especially for someone his age, he just turns up every day," he said.
"With Johnny the understanding of the game is on another level, a joy to work with really.
"I spend nearly every day with him. I don’t want to sound like I’m blowing his trumpet too much but his intellect is just...he sees the game so early.
"It's going pretty well I suppose. But it doesn't really count for much unless we get the job done.
"So yeah, a big finish to the year."
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Playing in the big European losses has been tough for Leinster players, but it was nearly more frustrating for Gibson-Park as he helplessly watched on in the biggest games over the past three years.
The rules around foreign players robbed him of involvement in the province's last Champions Cup final appearance, the loss to Saracens in 2019, and injury prevented him from playing in last year's semi-final at Le Rochelle.
"Yeah, it's tough," he said. "Unbelievably tough. I've had a few of them now.
"I didn't play the final in Newcastle, we still had the two and one rule at that stage so it was Fards (Scott Fardy) and (James) Lowe playing that day.
"I was out with a bit of a hamstring injury before, but there's nothing worse - especially when you think you might be able to do something to help.
"Whether you could or not, you don't know, but it is tough to sit and watch, for sure."
It will be a different story on Saturday, the next stop-off in a really important time in his career.
Bar his girlfriend, none of his family have seen Gibson-Park play for Ireland. That will change when he is part of the three Test tour to New Zealand.
"Obviously it’s something I look forward to if I’m part of it," he said. "It’s probably something that will hit you more when you are in the moment.
"I look forward to it provided I can get on the flight."
He started the November victory over the All Blacks in Dublin.
“Yeah, that day was obviously pretty emotional in itself," Gibson-Park recalled.
"But getting the chance to go back down there and play in front of family, which I haven’t had the chance to do yet, would be incredible."
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