It had been a fairly routine July evening for former Ireland and Leinster player Michael Bent last year. A day's farming had been ticked off at his Hawera home in New Zealand, supper was being made and weekend plans were being finalised.
Then Bent’s phone started ringing and on the other end was John Fogarty, the Irish scrum coach who was in the country for their tour series against the All Blacks.
Bent, who famously played for Ireland before even appearing for Leinster back in 2012, thought his brain was about to picked for any morsel of information on his home country ahead of the first test between the sides.
Instead, he hung up the phone, packed a suitcase and made his way to Auckland to hook up with Andy Farrell’s squad to help with their preparations for the match.
"They’d had a couple of injuries. They played the New Zealand Māori down in Hamilton," said the 37-year-old prop, speaking to RTÉ Radio 1’s Morning Ireland ahead of Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final between Ireland and the All Blacks.
"’Church’ [Cian Healy] rolled his ankle quite badly....they had a couple [of players] that got knocked out.
"There were a couple of guys sending me messages saying 'you better be ready for the call up’ and that just seemed like a fairly ridiculous idea at the time.
"There I was, six o’clock at night on the Friday before the test stuff in Auckland. I was sitting there giving my young fella a bit of porridge and then I got a call from ‘Fogs’, the scrum coach, and I just felt he was calling for a bit of a chat, he was in the country.
"I thought that’s what it was about but then he asked did I have my boots ready. I had to ask if he was serious or not and yeah, sure enough he was. An hour later I was on the plane up to Auckland and joining up with the team.
"It was all pretty mental, but it was absolutely brilliant to be a part of."
"I can’t thank him enough," Farrell said of Bent’s quick response to the SOS call and as well as helping out for that ultimately unsuccessful first test at Eden Park, Bent ended up playing again for Ireland, albeit in a non-capped contest.
The New Zealand Māori had handed out a 32-17 beating to an inexperienced Ireland in the first game of the tour, but Bent was brought in with minutes to go as they defeated the same opposition 30-24 in Wellington a few weeks later.
That the appearance came seven years after his final capped game for Ireland, and 12 months after announcing his retirement following his exit from a trophy-laden spell with Leinster, only added to the story.
Ireland Rugby posted a ‘tunnel cam’ video from the game, giving viewers a chance to witness some behind the scenes footage from the game at the Wellington Regional Stadium.
As Bent re-entered the Irish dressing room, his team-mates were waiting to give him a rousing reception, piling on and covering him with beer with an aborted attempt at lifting him up included for good measure.
His unexpected presence in camp was evidently a positive one, and he believes that the atmosphere cultivated by Farrell and his staff is being transferred into the impressive performances being displayed on the pitch in France.
"I can’t imagine the environment has changed a huge amount since then, it probably carried on the way that they were," he said.
"I just think the environment they had, it just felt brilliant, it just felt like he [Farrell] runs quite tight-knit.
"They enjoy a few laughs as a team, they have a good time, obviously work very hard on the pitch.
"The whole time it just felt like something pretty great to be a part of.
"I heard Johnny [Sexton] saying himself that it’s the best team he’s been involved with, some of the things he's seen. It’s showing in the way they play, they’re obviously enjoying each other’s company and playing some great rugby."
Bent is New Zealand born, qualifying for Ireland through his grandmother, and he said that there is still an air of uncertainty hanging over Ian Foster’s side despite their 193-20 aggregate score in their four wins since the opening night loss to the hosts in Paris.
"They’re looking a bit shaky, I don’t know if there’s a real belief that they’re going to take the World Cup out of there.
"They’re putting in some good performances but just some of the skills is letting them down a little bit, I think. Even watching the game against Uruguay, there’s just a bit of a feeling against a better sides some of the things that came off for them might not go that way when they’ve got stronger opposition in front of them."
And perhaps swayed by his unexpected sojourn back into the Irish fold last year, Bent believes Ireland will finally end their long wait for a Rugby World Cup knockout match win.
"Either way it’s going to be good, to be honest I really do think that Ireland will get up here. They’re looking that little bit sharper.
"I would be delighted to see them push them past the quarter-final.
"Either way one of the sides is going to be bitterly disappointed because they are both sides that rightfully should be into the next round but one of them have to be knocked out.
"But I do think the Irish boys are going to do it."
Follow a live blog of Ireland v New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals on Saturday with kick-off 8pm. Listen to live radio commentary on RTÉ Radio 1.
Watch England v Fiji and France v South Africa in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals on Sunday from 3.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow live blogs on RTÉ.ie/Sport and the RTÉ News app
