He was holding down a full-time job at a freezing works and was on a pay-per-play contract. He worked the morning shift at Carter Holt Harvey and then legged it to training once he clocked off.
When injuries struck Auckland early in the campaign, Taumoepeau took his chance, played superbly and by mid-September was given a full-time provincial deal that allowed him to give up his job. Just six weeks later, he made his test debut for the All Blacks, scoring a try with his first touch.
3 Brad Thorn, Crusaders, All Blacks 2008
Thorn was fairly certain that, at almost 33, his career was winding down when he decided it was time to leave the Brisbane Broncos at the end of the 2007 NRL season. He'd been with the club since he was 17 - played a silly number of games, been part of State of Origin and the Kangaroos and, of course, had his brief period with the All Blacks from 2001 to 2004.
He'd done the lot-which is why he was looking for a pension top-up with a league club in England. He was ready to sign with Bradford when the Highlanders made a late bid to lure him. A Mosgiel boy, Thorn was keen but when the Crusaders got wind of it, they usurped the Highlanders and stole their prize.
It seemed like a massive risk - Thorn was mentally set to wind down and physically how much did he have left? He became one of the great stories of the modern age. The one year modest deal he signed with the Crusaders was quickly ripped up and replaced with the biggest in his illustrious career as he established himself as the best lock in New Zealand and won back his All Black place.
"At 33 years of age, even I couldn't have dreamed of this; just to come over here and have this opportunity." He went on to win 56 caps and a World Cup winner's medal.
4 Isaia Toeava, All Blacks 2005
Isaia Toeava thought he'd be spending the latter part of 2005 in the gym as he prepared himself to crack the New Zealand under-21 team the following year and perhaps play a bit more for Auckland.
The 19-year-old had made two starts for Auckland during the NPC - neither particularly memorable. But that wasn't going to budge the All Black coaches from naming Toeava in their Grand Slam tour party. Toeava, with just two first class appearances, became one of the biggest All Black bolters in modern history.
Not only was he going to spend November in the UK, winning his first All Black cap - he was also going to be playing Super Rugby in 2006. He was pushed into the Hurricanes at the request of the All Black selectors. It was a crazy transformation and, in hindsight, when he struggled to play to his potential, the All Black selectors would later admit they had been wrong to ask so much of him so suddenly.
5 Mike Brewer, All Blacks 1993
Mike Brewer was injured when the All Blacks named their squad for the 1993 November tour of England and Scotland. The versatile loose forward saw his place taken by the lesser known and inexperienced Liam Barry.
The latter was desperate to prove his worth but after just one midweek outing, it became clear that coach Laurie Mains wasn't impressed. But Brewer travelled to the UK as a sponsor's representative and had recovered from his injury by the time the All Blacks came to play their final game.
A strange itinerary saw the All Blacks play the Combined Services and then the Barbarians in the final week of their tour. Brewer was all set in that final week to complete his corporate obligations when, out of the blue, he was named on the All Black bench to play the Barbarians. It was the first case of an All Black being selected without actually being in the All Black tour party. Barry was distraught - especially when Brewer was given 15 minutes of game time and welcomed on to the field with a firm handshake from captain Sean Fitzpatrick.
Norm Maxwell, All Blacks, 2001
Big Norm had been a dedicated Crusader and All Black to the detriment of his physical well-being. Barely 100kg, he played 34 tests between 1999 and 2002 and, by the end of 2003, his back was stuffed, his knees were wobbly and his hamstrings were like piano wire. Even though he was only 28, Maxwell knew he was poked.
After an extensive backpacking trip to try to fix his body, he returned midway through the 2004 season and played a few games for Canterbury. He was still struggling so signed to play in Italy.
But the All Black selectors made a dramatic intrusion. Maxwell played a huge game against Waikato and Graham Henry decided he'd found the right man to partner Chris Jack on the end of year tour. Assistant coach Wayne Smith persuaded Maxwell to rip up his Italian contract. Maxwell found himself on the plane to Europe in November, crying into his All Black shirt when it was presented before the test against Italy.
"This is probably my last game for some time so I can give it everything and, even if bits fall off, I will have plenty of time to recover and get myself sorted over the summer," Maxwell said before the crunch encounter with France.
He gave 60 minutes of what Henry would later say was one of the best locking performances he'd ever seen. Maxwell took that Italian contract in 2005.
7 Adam Ashley-Cooper, Wallabies 2005
Other than Wallaby coach Eddie Jones and those with an intimate knowledge of the Brumbies, no one really knew who Adam Ashley- Cooper was in 2005. He was a surprising selection in the Wallaby Tri Nations squad that year - just 21 and hardly sighted throughout Super Rugby. Ashley-Cooper was as shocked as everyone else but there was an even bigger surprise to come.
Not originally in the 22 to play South Africa in Perth, the utility back fetched himself a pie and chips before the game and was about to tuck in when Jones rang him 10 minutes before kick-off to tell him to get to the changing room. Starting second five Elton Flatley had an issue with his vision and Ashley-Cooper was on the bench. He made his debut in the final few minutes.
"For me, it was chaos trying to get everything together and everyone's having a little word trying to calm me down but I had to just take it all in and just relax and get out there and warm up," Ashley-Cooper said afterwards.
"I was actually thinking 'I've only played three Super 12 matches and here I am on the bench for the Wallabies'."
8 Brendan Laney, Scotland 2001
Brendan Laney had enjoyed the best season of his career with the Highlanders and Otago in 2001. His expectations when he boarded the plane for Scotland didn't extend beyond settling in, getting to grips with Edinburgh and trying to win a regular place with his new club. But he ended up at the centre of a massive storm. Scotland coach Ian McGeechan wanted to name Laney in his team to play Argentina four days after the utility back touched down.
Senior players in the squad were outraged and persuaded the coach he couldn't fast-track the New Zealander. Instead Laney was sent to Perth to play for Scotland A against the All Blacks six days after he landed. After a decent outing at fullback, he was named in the Scotland line-up to play the All Blacks, causing former players to speak out.
"Farcical, desperate and devaluing the thistle. Ian McGeechan has made a mockery of what it means to win a cap for your country of birth," said former first five Craig Chalmers. Poor Laney was the subject of national derision before he'd even played a game for his club or found a permanent place to live.
9 Perry Harris, All Blacks 1976
Perry Harris was an honest provincial slugger - a solid prop for Manawatu never noticed by national selectors or the wider rugby fraternity. He was basking in the glory of Manawatu's RanfurlyShield win against Auckland in 1976 when, two days later, he was called to South Africa by the All Blacks.
The All Blacks had been hit with multiple injuries but no one, least of all Harris, thought he'd be the man called to the rescue. Four days after arriving, he was in the starting XV for the third test. The truly amazing thing was that not only did few New Zealanders have any idea who he was, Harris hadn't ever seen an All Black game - not even on TV - let alone thought he'd ever play in one.
He was given a torrid time by Springbok prop Johan Strauss and, to complete his misery, Harris was clocked by his own team-mate, Hamish Macdonald, with a misdirected punch. He suffered from blurred vision after that and played two more games for the All Blacks against provincial opposition before returning to obscurity.
10 Rua Tipoki, Bay of Plenty 2004
Once the enfant terrible of New Zealand rugby, Rua Tipoki returned to New Zealand in 2004 after a stint in Japan.
He was keen to restore a battered image and rebuild a promising career that had collapsed after he fabricated a story about how he broke both his wrists. Waikato coach John Mitchell told the midfielder he'd be in the squad as long as he kept out of trouble. Tipoki was sent off in a club game for talking back to the referee and that was it.
On the eve of the NPC, Tipoki was cut by Waikato. His plans were in chaos until Bay of Plentytook him on a loan deal. Tipoki got an early chance, played superbly and ended up being their player of the season.
The Bay won the Ranfurly Shield - even defended it against Waikato in a game where Tipoki was at his best - and went on to make the NPC semifinals. Tipoki was even acknowledged at the end of the year by the All Black selectors, who said he came close to 1100 making their squad.
