Two years had passed since Huw Jones' last Scotland cap, between the sacking of Paris in 2021 and the incredible triumph at Twickenham in February 2023.
Jones did not play a minute in the Autumn Nations Series. He did not tour Argentina in the summer. He had spent a fruitful year at Harlequins after a move from Glasgow to France fell through, and wound up back at Scotstoun under his third Warriors head coach.
But until last month, he could not wrest a spot in Gregor Townsend's first-choice midfield from defensive juggernaut, British and Irish Lion and coach's favourite, Chris Harris.
Now, though, Jones has become an irrepressible international force. He has dazzled for Franco Smith's new-look Glasgow domestically and shone for Scotland in their three Six Nations matches, scoring six tries in seven outings for club and country.
Townsend called his virtuoso display in Paris, as Scotland fell to France in a topsy-turvy cracker, "outstanding".
"The past two weeks, the coaches and I have felt he is going to have a breakthrough game because he's training so well, and today was that game," the head coach said.
"It was really good we were able to get more ball into those wide areas in the second half. Having Huw in those spaces really caused problems for the French defence."
'Chemistry and confidence'
The numbers back up Townsend's assessment.
Jones is the championship's joint-top try scorer, his two brilliant Parisian finishes adding to the predatory effort against England in the opening round.
He cut a fabulous line off Finn Russell to pierce the French rearguard and put Scotland on the board, before seeing off a couple of tacklers en route to a barnstorming second.
Those tries book-ended another fine showing against Wales in Edinburgh, with Jones producing defensive snarl and 12 tackles to go with his customary attacking elan.
The 29-year-old is in the tournament's top 10 players for metres gained and defenders beaten.
On Sunday, he carried a dozen times and made close to 140m, breaking six French tackles in the process.
And Jones is linking beautifully with Finn Russell, Scotland's mercurial play-maker, and Sione Tuipulotu, his centre partner and a potent blend of brawn and guile.
The pair have been christened "Huwipulotu" by adoring Glasgow fans.
"Jones has always had that relationship with Russell," said Sir Ian McGeechan, the iconic former Scotland and British and Irish Lions coach.
"There's a chemistry, confidence and trust in that midfield to read the game and find those lines. Jones finds them late, which suits Finn Russell down to the ground."
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