Dan Biggar's last shot at goal for the Lions flew over the best part of 50 metres only to come down beneath the Hurricanes' crossbar in Wellington. His next one will be in South Africa this summer.
The only question remaining to be resolved is not whether the courageous Welshman makes the tour but whether he does so as the prospective Test fly-half around whom the tactical plan for the series will stand or fall. Not bad for one who found himself some way back on the starting grid six months ago.
When the flag went up for the first lap of the endurance race for Lions' selection, Biggar barely had time to negotiate the first chicane before being forced into an emergency pitstop.
Wales ended his suffering behind a beaten pack against Scotland at Llanelli by taking him off three minutes into the second half.
It left him behind George Ford, Finn Russell and Johnny Sexton in a four-cornered fight for two places if Owen Farrell's ruthlessly competitive nature compensates for a poor Six Nations and earns England's below-par captain a tour place as a goal-kicking inside centre-cumstand-off.
Biggar need not have worried about being slow out of the blocks. His subsequent recovery amounts to a persuasive case for having overtaken all three competitors.
While Ford rather lost his way in the fog of confusion over England and the high-risk Russell wound up being sent off, Biggar finished the Six Nations at the very top of his game.
He saved his best for last, a performance of such authority and control against France in Paris that his substitution with a very long 13 minutes left on the clock raised eyebrows on a nationwide scale.The party line, that he was suffering cramp, did not immediately bring them all back down again.
Since then, Biggar's star has kept rising with his generalship and bravery in Northampton's win at Leicester last weekend. Sexton's misfortune in being forced to sit out Leinster's mighty Champions Cup semi-final in La Rochelle this afternoon strengthens the force behind his Welsh opposite number.
The Dubliner's exhibition of precision kicking during Ireland's rout of England last month suggested that it would be just a matter of who provided bench cover against the Springboks: Biggar, Russell or the out-of-sorts Farrell.
Since his tour de force for Ireland six weeks ago, Sexton has been limited to 27 minutes, against Exeter in the Champions Cup quarter-final.
The knock-on effect of failing yet another head injury assessment has left him stuck in the throes of the concussion protocols.
Should Biggar reach the pinnacle of his career at 31 as reward for long years in pursuit of excellence, he will be the latest in a long line of post-war Lions' Test fly-halves from Wales.
Cliff Morgan began the tradition in South Africa in 1955 followed by Malcolm Price (1959), David Watkins (1966), Barry John (1968, 1971), Phil Bennett (1974, 1977), Gareth Davies (1980) and Stephen Jones (2009). Neil Jenkins made one appearance there as a substitute in 2001.
England have had seven: Bev Risman, Phil Horrocks-Taylor (both 1959), Richard Sharp (1962), Rob Andrew (1989, 1993), Mike Catt (1997), Jonny Wilkinson (2001, 2005), Owen Farrell (2013, 2017).
Ireland six: Jack Kyle (1950), Mike Gibson (1968), Tony Ward (1980), Ollie Campbell (1980, 1983), Ronan O'Gara (2005), Johnny Sexton (2013, 2017).
Scotland three: Gordon Waddell (1962), Craig Chalmers (1989), Gregor Townsend (1997).
PETER JACKSON
