much and I have seen guys who have left a little bit too early," Ellis said. "For me, I just think now is a good time for me to leave while it is in my control."

Ellis has had to fight to keep his No 9 jersey for a decade. Kevin Senio, Kahn Fotuali'i and Willi Heinz all challenged him for his place and then went offshore. Now it is Ellis's turn to offshore, but first he has to keep Mitchell Drummond from deposing him.

He has no intention of dropping his boots into a furnace and walking into the sunset. There is a two-year deal with Kobe Steel, the Japanese club he has represented for the last two off-seasons, to honour and then he will think about what hisnext job placement with be inside or outside the rugby industry.

Ellis's talents as a landscape architect have been well documented. An effervescent type, he could potentially swing towards coaching, or maybe the business world appeals more.

There is no doubt Ellis will be missed the Crusaders organisation, on and off the field. Some veteran players can get a bit cranky as the seasons roll by, but he has never fallen into the trap of playing the big shot or lording over the younger pups in the squad.

He has also displayed no bitterness about the way the All Blacks selectors cast him adrift after the 2011 World Cup, a harsh blow for a loyal operator who took the field in late in the final against France in Auckland and calmly