It's good news for Brad Shields that he has finally gained a release agreement to play for England this June - but maybe not so good news for the Hurricanes.
Now that New Zealand Rugby have realised they had no legitimate legal lever to pull to stop Shields from representing England, the focus will soon fall on what kind of physical and emotional state the Hurricanes captain will be in once he returns from a three-test series in South Africa.
Shields has shown himself to be durable over the years. He's rarely injured, his work rate is high, his commitment obvious. He's the sort of player coaches love because they know they will get all of what he has.
Read more: Brad Shields released by New Zealand Rugby
But by the end of next month, after he's flown around the world and had the stress of quite absurdly beginning his test career with a 'foreign' country, what will he have left?