New Zealand scrumhalf TJ Perenara said he was unaware a prankster had joined the All Blacks for the national anthem ahead of their Test against Wales until his involvement in Saturday's match was over.
WATCH | Pitch invader lines up with the All Blacks to sing national anthem
New Zealand were lined up at Cardiff's Principality Stadium when a tall man wearing a face mask and dressed in All Blacks kit with 69 on the back of his shirt stood alongside reserve prop Tyrel Lomax.
The intruder, escorted off the field by stadium security staff, appeared to be Daniel "Jarvo" Jarvis, who styles himself "Jarvo 69".
He tweeted a video of himself jogging onto the pitch accompanied by the words: "Me making my Debut for New Zealand!"
Jarvis made it onto the field several times during the England cricket team's series at home to India and was charged with aggravated trespass after colliding with Jonny Bairstow at the Oval in September.
Perenara, who scored one of the All Blacks' seven tries in a 54-16 hammering of Wales, had no idea what had happened before kick-off until after he was replaced by Brad Weber in the 62nd minute.
"No, I didn't (know)," he said. "I got told when I came off and was sitting on the bench. One of the bros was telling me that there was someone else at the end of the anthem.
"I actually had my eyes closed. Halfway through... I heard the crowd going off. And I couldn't think why. Now, in hindsight, it's because they noticed that guy or something like that."
The anthem incident aside, Perenara was rarely caught unawares while on the field and scored a well-worked try in the first half when taking a pop pass from No 8 Ardie Savea.
Perenara, whose selection ahead of Weber had been a pre-match talking point, was then able to watch New Zealand run riot with four tries in the final quarter as they put an under-strength Wales to the sword.
"Towards the end we scored a few pretty cool tries, where we capitalised on some opportunities, which was pleasing," he said.
"But for a big part of that game they made us work a lot defensively. I'm just proud of us and our efforts, and how we combated that."
