Being in the right place at the right time can make all the difference in the life of a professional rugby player and Dan Pryor is looking to make the most of his chances after being named to start at openside flanker for the Taniwha on Saturday.
Pryor thought the highlight
of his rugby season was going to be his Auckland club side's rugby final against Ponsonby - but just a few days after that he received a call from his father.
"I was getting ready to go to uni and I got a call from my dad telling me to turn my phone on and then Bryce [Woodward] rang me up and said he wanted me up there ASAP, ahead of the Naki game. It was a pretty big surprise for me," the loose forward said.
After injuries to open side flankers Joel McKenty and Sam Barker, Woodward tried unsuccessfully to get hold of former Wellsford and Northland flanker John Cocker and then turned to Pryor.
Because of the last gasp nature of his recruitment, Northland fans might have been forgiven for expecting little from the loan player but they were quickly proved wrong. Pryor had a blinder of game in New Plymouth, making 18 tackles in the game, missing none and being heavily involved in the hit-ups in the second half in particular. In recognition of a great debut he was voted "players' player" after the 26-19 victory.
The 22-year-old said the fact that little was expected of him had made it easier.
"I didn't know any moves or anything really, which was good because there wasn't too much pressure on me, so I was able to enjoy it all and have some fun," he said.
"It was pretty surprising for me because I expected it to be a big step up from club rugby but it didn't really seem to be, and I was pretty happy when I was named player's player," he said.
Pryor is the third Auckland loan player recruited from the Grammar Carlton club, alongside Paea Fa'anunu and Bryce Heem. He is in his final year of a bachelor of business and advertising degree at Auckland University of Technology but reckons he can fit in an ITM Cup campaign along with his study - if he is needed.
Pryor said he knew a few of the North Harbour players for Sunday's first home game and was upbeat about the Taniwha's chances.
"I reckon we can take them. We've had a good week of training but it will be up to us on the day, I guess, if we show up physically, we'll be right," he said.
He said the team knew how to win.
Being in the right place at the right time can make all the difference in the life of a professional rugby player and Dan Pryor is looking to make the most of his chances after being named to start at openside flanker for the Taniwha on Saturday.
Pryor thought the highlight
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