It wasn’t without a tinge of sadness that Jaco Kriel ended an illustrious career for the Lions with a win over Zebre at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
It perhaps more was a tale of his career as things hadn’t always gone the way he had planned.
But for a player who plays with such passion and emotion, and has been a rock for more than a decade in the Lions side, it was always going to be a bit emotional when the last dance came along.
Kriel though, stood tall and played his second consecutive 80 minutes, testament to the fact his team wanted him to have the sendoff on his terms, and rare, especially in an era where players in his position often get substituted before the hour is up.
And he was impressive. He capped a memorable day with a try at the back of a rolling maul and gave a perfect pass for Edwill van der Merwe’s second try, tiptoeing down the touchline before sending the ball inside for the scoring pass.
It was a day of memories for Kriel, who admitted being emotional afterwards.
"It almost felt unreal as we drove in with the bus. I was almost in tears because you realise it's your last team meeting, last bus trip and last everything," Kriel said.
"I knew I had to get my emotions under control and do what I can on the field for the team. The 80 minutes was about going through the processes for the team.
"The first 40 minutes went by quite quickly, but when we walked out at half-time, Andries Coetzee, reminded me that I had my last 40 minutes left.
"It kicked in a bit, but during the game, you don't always worry about such. It was tough, and I started cramping. I can't remember the last time I played two consecutive 80-minute games.
"It showed that if you do it for a team, you can bite the dust and make sure that you go all the way."
Afterwards he was hoisted onto the shoulders of team-mates to signify their respect for him."It was quite special when my teammates hoisted me onto their shoulders," Kriel added.
"When Willem Alberts picked me up, he was quick to joke and say I was no longer 96kgs. It was a dead weight, but we had a good laugh about it."
"It was special."
For these and many other reasons, Kriel is our hero of the week, although the Lions would be quick to point out he was much more than that for them.