Bismarck du Plessis had forgotten about playing rugby again and was sitting on his tractor on his farm when Bulls coach Jake White phoned to ask if he wanted to join his team.
And now the 37-year-old is preparing to face Ireland’s Leinster in the United Rugby Championship on Saturday (6.15pm).
Du Plessis says of his return to action: “It still feels a little bit unreal to be honest.
“In my head I’d said goodbye to rugby. But when Jake phoned me and I was sitting on the tractor on my farm, what he said awakened something in me again.
“I spoke to a lot of players. Victor Matfield gave me great advice. So did Johann Muller. Stefan Terblanche really changed my mind in terms of what he said to me.
“Some of the players I spoke to said they were happy to retire because their bodies couldn’t take it anymore. Some of them said the last two years of their careers were the most enjoyable.
“Others said that if they could still play today they would. I was in the fortunate position where my body was still strong enough.
“It was obviously a difficult decision for me because I gave my heart and soul to the Sharks.
“But the opportunity was with the Bulls, and the way Jake spoke to me and what he explained to me helped me make that decision.”