It's a wee bit like arriving at the party after most of the guests have given the keg a good hammering. You might enjoy one or two drinks but you'll be paying for your own later on.
On the plus side, the early guests might end the night staggering around incoherently and feeling completely shambolic the next morning, while you're up and about and ready to take on the world. That's the scenario facing the Crusaders as they count down to Saturday night's clash with the Chiefs in Hamilton. Have they left their run a little late?
After an extremely lacklustre start to the season, Blackadder's Battalion now sits third in the New Zealand Conference, although just three points splits second through to fifth on the Godzone points table. Confidence was clearly in short supply early in the campaign as one stumbling performance followed another. While they don't yet look like world-beaters, their form is trending in the right direction, at last.
Colin Slade is looking more assertive at ten, Crotty has been superb back at 12 and Israel Dagg is looking like Israel Dagg. Nemani Nadolo's sheer bulk must been causing some sleepless night's for opposition backlines, while George Whitelock's late start to the season seems to have reinvigorated the already well-functioning pack.
