KEY POINTS:
It's the little things that remind Brent Ward his Auckland days are numbered; like trying to sell his car, or find a replacement flatmate.
Having committed to play in Paris for the next two seasons, Ward knows the clock is ticking on his Auckland career.
With just tomorrow
night's blockbuster Ranfurly Shield match against Canterbury separating Auckland from knockout rugby, his tenure as the province's fullback can now be measured in minutes.
"Time is creeping up on me," he admits.
One of the domestic game's most dedicated and passionate servants, Ward has continued a fine tradition of elegant, goal-kicking Auckland fullbacks. Matthew Ridge, Shane Howarth and Adrian Cashmore are among his contemporaries.
But where does Ward rate among such company? Well, the other three were All Blacks. Ward isn't.
Purely in terms of achievements, then, it would be hard to rate him above the others. But, in terms of service to his province, Ward's 66 games and 628 points would rank near the top.
Some would argue that, in an era when black jerseys have been handed out somewhat freely, the 28-year-old has been unfortunate to miss out on higher honours.
Ward won't have a bar of that talk.
"I never really thought I was good enough to play one game for Auckland, so to be able to play 66 is fantastic for me.
"And never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be an All Black. I am just happy that I've been able to make a living out of playing rugby and do some thing that I enjoy.
"It is pretty special because not too many people get to experience becoming a professional athlete."
It's that sort of self-effacing attitude that has made Ward such a popular and highly-regarded member of the Auckland side.
"You cut Wardy open and he is blue and white," says Howarth, now the team's backs coach. "He gives you everything on the field. You know when you put Wardy on the field you get 120 per cent out of him. He just doesn't shirk.
"He is a character, guys sort of gravitate towards him. He is bloody honest and guys like that. He will be a huge loss to us in terms of the environment because he is a bloody good bugger.
"I don't think we'll realise how big a hole he will leave until he goes."
Howarth believes Ward could have cracked the All Blacks had he not had the misfortune of playing in an era when the likes of Mils Muliaina and Leon MacDonald were in their pomp.
"You could say the same thing about Marty Holah and guys like that. When you have got someone that good in front of you, it is hard to knock down that door. He went close a couple of years ago but just didn't crack the squad.
"But he has never let that get him down. He has epitomised the guys who are leaving at the end of the year.
"He is not thinking about Paris, he is right in the moment with us and that is all we can ask of him."
Ward certainly doesn't consider himself unlucky. He's enough of a realist to know that he probably lacks the x-factor of those who've been chosen ahead of him.
"When you look at the young guys coming through, like Ice [Isaia Toeava], just look at the talent that he is now. There's no way I could compete with someone like that."
There's no hint of bitterness. Ward is genuinely happy with his lot.
His fondest rugby memory is of taking the Shield off Canterbury in the final round robin match four years ago and then going on to win the national championship.
It is somewhat fitting, then, that he has the chance to finish his career by walking the exact same path.
"Probably the greatest memory I have is winning that [Shield]. And those next three weeks were special.
"I know there is talk about finishing top of the table but really, when it comes down to it, you are only thinking about one thing: winning the Shield.
"It still does hold a lot of its mana.
"It would be special for me to finish on a high by winning it and then just taking each week as it comes."
