Wallabies hooker Nathan Charles says the Eden Park battleground provides the perfect escape from the "stigma" and "sympathy" that comes with suffering from cystic fibrosis.
Tired of the plaudits he receives for breaking into the test side despite his life-threatening condition, Charles craves recognition instead for merely becoming a Wallaby.
"There'll always be a stigma attached, it's been pretty well documented," the 25-year-old said ahead of Saturday's second Bledisloe Cup test in Auckland. "I don't like sympathy and sometimes I feel like people say, 'Jeez, he's done well given where he's come from,' rather than, 'He's done well because the Wallabies are a hard team to crack into.'
" ... there's a lot more to this than just taking a few pills."
Taking on the might of the All Blacks at their Eden Park fortress is more a sanctuary for the three-test rookie.
