LOVING THE MOMENT: Israel Dagg celebrates with Ihaia West and Brendon O’Connor of the Hawke’s Bay Magpies after winning the Ranfurly Shield against Counties Manukau Steelers last Saturday.

Home is where the heart is for Israel Dagg.

The 26-year-old has had plenty to smile about this past fortnight after helping Hawke’s Bay bring the Ranfurly Shield back to Napier.

It provided a welcome boost for a player who has been through a year of ups and downs, but it’s been off the field where Dagg’s home-coming has clearly restored his confidence.

“It’s been a good couple of weeks being home,” he said yesterday.

“I haven’t been back [to the Bay] for a while, so I’ve really enjoyed catching up with family and friends. I’ve been eating out [of the team hotel] every night with them all cooking me dinners, things like that, it’s been really good.”

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Dagg has been eying this test since the All Blacks schedule was announced early this year, determined to play in front of his extended family and in particular his two grandfathers, former Magpies and Otago rep Pat Dagg and Henare Nukutarawhiti.

And though the weather might stop the pair from attending, the chance to play down the road clearly means a great deal to their grandson.

“I’d love to see my grandparents come, but I think it’s a bit cold at night,” Dagg said.

“I told my grandad to come on Tuesday and he said he couldn’t [because] he’d rather watch it on the couch in his pyjamas.

“My grandad’s about 15 minutes away and papa about 20 minutes. They’re in their late 70s, 80s, so it’s just a bit cold, you catch a flu real quick and it takes ages to recover. They can sit at home nice and warm by the fire.”

The question now is whether Dagg’s absence from the test side has stoked the fires that appeared to be waning as he limped through Super Rugby with a niggly knee problem.

“I’ve had a few little niggles this year and I gave another guy an opportunity who is pretty classy and a quality player,” he said in reference to Ben Smith, the player who has worn the All Blacks’ No 15 jersey for the past five tests.

Dagg comes across as a confident and carefree character, but he has clearly taken stock since being dropped from the test side for the first time since his sparkling debut against Ireland in 2012.

Being wired up to run the water during the Bledisloe Cup gave him an insight into another side of the All Blacks and despite hearing how blunt his coaches appraisals could be, it reinforced how badly he wanted to be out in the middle.

“I’d rather be playing. It was tough. When you aren’t selected week in, week out, and you are playing for the Bledisloe. [Backs coach] Ian Foster told me I was starting on Monday and I was pretty stoked.”

Dagg said he’d done his best to keep his head up over the past few weeks, a process helped by the humour of room-mate Cory Jane, whose jokes had helped break the ice on the bus trips to training.

But there is a serious side to what will be his 40th test match. Jane was not dropped on form.

Dagg had been given a chance, in part because it was his home track, and in part because his style better suited the expected wet weather, Hansen said.

Such factors will not be in play next week when the All Blacks play South Africa in Wellington where, if Dagg, Smith, and Jane are all available, selection will be based on form and form alone.