You hate to tempt fate, but you do wonder if this could finally be the moment for Owen Lane.
There has never been any question over the talent and potential of the Cardiff winger.
With his pace, power, lines of running and finishing prowess, he has all the attacking attributes in his locker.
But time and again over the past three years he has been derailed by fitness issues just as he has looked on the point of breaking through with Wales.
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As a result, people have got to see precious little of him on the international stage and he found himself overtaken in the pecking order by a certain Louis Rees-Zammit.
Lane has openly admitted his catalogue of injuries have been challenging mentally and have left him deeply frustrated.
But maybe, just maybe those problems are now behind him and the opportunity is there to make that big step up.
With Rees-Zammit away with the Lions this summer, Lane was able to double his cap tally, taking it up to four, as he started both Tests against Argentina.
In the second of those games, he produced an outstanding finish, breaking the attempted tackle of one Pumas defender and handing off another before sliding and stretching his way over in the corner.
It was a perfect example of just what a predatory presence he can offer out wide.
Gloucester’s Rees-Zammit will, of course, be absent once again for Wales’ opening autumn Test against New Zealand on October 30 as England-based players are unavailable for that out-of-window game.
Fellow Lions Josh Adams and Liam Williams look odds on to make up two-thirds of the back three, but there is a wing spot up for grabs.
For the contenders for that role, it’s all about starting the season with a bang and making an early impression.
The 23-year-old Lane could hardly have done much more on that front.
Having produced a fine finish in the warm-up victory over Bath, he then delivered a brace in last Friday’s United Rugby Championship opener against Connacht at the Arms Park.
His first demonstrated just how hard a man he is to stop if he gets a sniff of the line, as he showed his strength and determination in getting the ball down despite being yanked around the neck by a defender as he cut inside, while his second was a run-in reward for holding his width.
It was a double strike which capped a quality all-round display that saw him named Man of the Match following his team's 33-21 win.
Now it’s early days yet and you never count your chickens given the wretched luck he has had in the past.
But right now, he probably looks the front-runner for that vacant wing berth against the All Blacks, as he vies with the likes of Jonah Holmes, Tom Rogers and the versatile Hallam Amos.
His Cardiff coach Dai Young feels the former Whitchurch High School pupil is benefitting from the way he has prepared for the new season.
“He is a real quality player with real X-Factor,” he said.
“I firmly believe the reason why he hasn’t been a regular in the Welsh set-up is just due to picking up injuries at the wrong time.
“He has worked hard in the summer, increasing certain parts of his fitness, but also looking after himself.
“He realises if he wants to reach the heights we know he can that’s part and parcel of it.”
Reflecting on the winger’s performance Connacht, Young said: “I thought Owen looked really sharp, really busy and really eager for work.
“We know he has got a physical side to his game, as in he can take contact and win contact, but he’s also quick enough to run round people.
“From a coaching point of view, I am not really bothered whether they run round them or over them, as long as they are going in the right direction.”
Lane now has a further opportunity to make his mark when he lines up against the Ospreys in Saturday’s Welsh derby at the Liberty Stadium.
It could just be time for the Lane Train to go full steam ahead.
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