Wallabies lock Richie Arnold is the definition of a late bloomer Rugby-wise.
Arnold became Wallaby #965 when the 33-year-old came off the bench during last week's defeat to South Africa.
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It's a remarkable rise when you consider Arnold gave the game as a teenager, having split his time between league and union.
It was at the age of 22 when Arnold was convinced to pick up the game again alongside twin Rory. As he says, the rest is history.
“I played a bit of league growing up and then a bit of Rugby also but I had a break from 16-22. I went away from it and then came back to it. I'm from a little town (Murwillumbah, located on the NSW side of the Tweed border)... I wanted to go play league and then they started a rugby (union) team," he explained to reporters.
"We were at the pub having a few beers and the coach was down there and he's like, 'come down.' And first Rory was like, 'yeah, we'll come down' and I remember saying, 'nah, don't worry, he's talking trash, he won't be down there.'
"But funny enough, yeah, Rory did roll down there and I came along and yeah, the rest is history."
Arnold spent stints with the Brumbies and Force before heading overseas with Japanese club Yamaha.
However, it's with French club Toulouse that Arnold became a world-class talent.
Since his arrival in 2019, they've won multiple Top 14 titles to go with the 2021 Champions Cup, starting alongside Rory as they took out the final against La Rochelle and Wallabies teammate Will Skelton.
“Obviously my time in Australia was pretty cool being at the Brumbies and Force but since then going to Yamaha and Toulouse, I was very lucky I stumbled on a great club who have got a lot of superstars and it’s been a hell of a ride over there. The ride continues and here I am," he said.
Arnold was a surprise selection in Eddie Jones' first squad in April. It wasn't that he didn't deserve it, rather people saw R. Arnold and thought it would be Rory, who was an established Wallaby under past coaches.
“It was a little shocking (getting the message to catch up with Jones). It was like ‘It’s Eddie, what does he want?," he admits.
“He was just asking if I’d like to catch up and have a yarn so I was ‘Yeah, of course.’
“He first reached out via message and then we had a one-on-one. He came to Toulouse so we caught up then in the hotel."
Despite the defeat, Arnold was lapping up the moment after taking the long road to a Test debut.
"I had a couple of beers to celebrate the cap and just reflecting the journey. I got a lot of messages so it’s very special," Arnold added, in a full-circle moment.
