Christian Lealiifano has always been good at hiding things with a smile, even in his darkest moments.
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Like the time Wallabies teammates visited him just days after he started chemotherapy. Or the way he turned World Cup selection heartbreak four years ago into motivation for 2019.
Lealiifano's power as a person has always been how he makes other people feel loved, and as rugby player making teammates feel invincible. But after almost 20 minutes of laughing about what many thought was an impossible dream, his grin begins to crack.
All of a sudden Lealiifano is standing silently in the middle of a scrum of Wallabies players and media, who are all talking about the excitement of playing in Japan.
Lealiifano is usually the unflappable one, especially around his teammates. He's shown that every day of his three-year battle to beat leukaemia.
"Sorry, man," he says quietly. Why the change? Because the conversation turns to his family. "I carry them with me, and I literally carry Sally in my blood. She's always a part of it."
Sally is Lealiifano's sister. She gave Lealiifano "the gift" of life via a bone-marrow transplant after his cancer diagnosis in 2016.
Sally, wife Luga, son Jeremih, mum Malaea and brothers Eddie and Lix have been the rocks behind the scenes of Lealiifano's very public illness, recovery and now a World Cup opportunity.
This is why Lealiifano's run-on moment against Fiji on Saturday is about more than kicking a ball, winning a game or achieving a childhood dream.
It's about a family who stuck together to beat a disease and give Lealiifano the second chance so many others don't get.
Sally is the youngest of the six Lealiifano siblings. She was the only one who was a match for the bone-marrow transplant, which effectively saved his life.
"I guess I should get her a first-class ticket [to the World Cup]," Lealiifano laughs as his trademark grin returns.
"I'll always be grateful for her and what she did, but Sally is so humble. Sally and the rest of my siblings are super proud, they all support me no matter what.
"We're the youngest two in the family and there will always be a special bond. Even more special now. My sister will always be special to me.
"Things happen so quickly. I don't stop to think or reflect. But Sally just sent me a message saying she saw me walking down the stairs when she clicked on the World Cup announcement. The world works in crazy ways.
"I'm no different to anyone else here [in the Wallabies squad]. Everyone has sacrificed to get here ... I'll be thinking of my family every day because I know how quickly it can be taken.
"But it's not just about being here. It's about being the best I can be. If I'm a small representation of my family, that's what I'm most proud of being able to represent."
Playing at a World Cup will tick one of the only remaining boxes on Lealiifano's to-do list, which changed dramatically after blood tests led to life-altering news.
So much has changed since that moment and rugby has been put into perspective. Lealiifano describes himself as one of the "lucky ones" given so many leukaemia sufferers don't get the second chance he's got.
But the journey to get to the World Cup was just background noise when he made slow and painstaking progress throughout his recovery.
The first step was a fourth-grade match alongside Lix, the next a Brumbies exhibition game in Singapore and then a shock Super Rugby comeback less than a year after his diagnosis.
He's played in Ireland and Japan since then and had multiple chances to walk away from Australian rugby, which would have been understandable given what he had been through and his already almost decade-long of service in Canberra.
But Lealiifano stayed. Why? Because of the lure of the Wallabies' gold jersey and the chance to play at a World Cup.
Even he doubted he would get another chance at Test level, so much so he considered making a switch to Samoa to realise his World Cup ambitions.
But he stayed. Then his phone started ringing at about 10pm on a cold night last month. Wallabies coach Michael Cheika's name popped up.
Lealiifano's heart jumped into his mouth. He'd had this phone call four years earlier, with Cheika telling him he had missed out on a World Cup ticket.
Cheika usually gets former Wallabies heroes to make the call to players who've made the squad, but the coach is the one who makes the hard calls to unsuccessful World Cup hopefuls.
The good news for Lealiifano is the only reason Cheika was calling was because the Wallabies couldn't track down Lealiifano's mentor, Stephen Larkham, to make the call.
"I couldn't sleep that night," Lealiifano said. "Obviously I had doubts. I guess I fell out of favour and everything happened, so yeah I had doubts.
"But to be back to full health ... that's when the motivation and inspiration started to come. It started to be about: 'how far can I go?' I've been inspired by the people around me.
"The Brumbies have been a massive part of my life and I wanted to give as much as I could to them. To be here now is a reward. It's all been worthwhile to still have goals and dreams. I'm really proud."
WORLD CUP
Saturday: Wallabies v Fiji at Sapporo Dome, 2.45pm.
Wallabies: 15. Kurtley Beale, 14. Reece Hodge, 13. James O'Connor, 12. Samu Kerevi, 11. Marika Koroibete, 10. Christian Lealiifano, 9. Nic White, 8. Isi Naisarani, 7. Michael Hooper (capt), 6. David Pocock, 5. Rory Arnold, 4. Izack Rodda, 3. Allan Alaalatoa, 2. Tolu Latu, 1. Scott Sio. Reserves: 16. Jordan Uelese, 17. James Slipper, 18. Sekope Kepu, 19. Adam Coleman, 19. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 20. Will Genia, 21. Matt Toomua, 22. Dane Haylett-Petty. Coach: Michael Cheika
Fiji: 1. Campese Maafu, 2. Sam Matasevi, 3. Peni Ravai, 4. Tevita Cavubati, 5. Leone Nakarawa, 6. Dominiko Waqaniburotu (c), 7. Peceli Yato, 8. Viliame Mata, 9. Frank Lomani, 10. Ben Volavola, 11. Semi Radradra, 12. Levani Botia, 13. Waisea Nayacalevu, 14. Josua Tuisova, 15. Kini Murimurivalu. Reserves: 16. Veremalua Vugakoto, 17. Eroni Mawi, 18. Manasa Saulo, 19. Tevita Ratuva, 20. Mosese Voka, 21. Nikola Matawalu, 22. Alivereti Veitokani, 23. Vereniki Goneva. Coach: John McKee