Will Greenwood plays his rugby with a smile, but his broad try-scoring grin against South Africa in Perth belied an inner pain. The Harlequins centre had prepared and played in one of the biggest games of his career under unimaginable strain.
His wife, Caroline, had been admitted to hospital earlier in the week with complications during her pregnancy.
The news comes little over a year after the couple lost their first child after a premature birth, and Caroline is expected to remain hospitalised until the birth in February.
The rollercoaster of emotions Greenwood has endured in the past week are but a microcosm of the year.
The death of his first child, an ever-present in England's climb to the top of the world rankings, the loss of club and country colleague Nick Duncombe, and a summer wedding.
He has coped with Rudyard Kipling's twin imposters of triumph and disaster with fortitude and grace.
"It has been a tough week for Will who has been outstanding considering what is going on in the back of his mind," coach Clive Woodward said after the victory.
"This is quite a traumatic thing he's going through, so what he did in the game was unbelievable.
 |  Will handled it brilliantly and Caro has been fantastic |
"We didn't tell the players during the week. Will wanted to keep it quiet - he didn't want the team worrying about him."
In September last year Caroline suffered a ruptured membrane which resulted in her giving birth to a son, Freddie, four months early.
Weighing just 1lb 2oz, he was too small and under-developed to survive and died within an hour of being born.
Greenwood returned to international action in England's autumn internationals and dedicated the two tries he scored against South Africa at Twickenham to Freddie.
The Springboks were on the receiving end again in Perth.
It was the centre's 28th try in England colours in a mere 43 outings, a remarkable return from a man who has a happy knack of being in the right place at the right time.
Greenwood, who is third on England's all-time try-scoring list behind Rory Underwood and Jeremy Guscott, has become an increasingly vital cog in the England team.
As well his tries, most notably in the Grand Slam match against Ireland and in Australia in the summer, Greenwood, in partnership with Jonny Wilkinson, is the orchestrator of the backs.
His vision, elusive running, ability to play on the gain line and willingness to take the tackle, all combine to create time and space for those around him when England are on the attack.
When on the back foot he is the defensive lynchpin, marshalling the line against opposition raiders. That made his schoolboy error of failing to touch down for a 22 drop-out minutes before half-time all the more remarkable.
The knock-on and conceded scrum put his team under unecessary pressure, but only now is it clear that there were extenuating circumstances for his oversight.
Greenwood admitted he owed Woodward's squad the try and it was enough to send England's hoardes of supporters from Subiaco Oval to south London dancing in delight into the night.
Now Greenwood is following that route when by rights he should be celebrating his match-winning effort and Monday birthday with the squad.
The thoughts of the England squad and their supporters will be with Greenwood as he takes his homeward journey.
And as well as sending their best wishes with him, they will be hoping he returns to the fold as soon as possible.
England have never lost when Greenwood has scored, and after tries in both of his country's opening matches down under it is clear the number 13 is in prime form.
All will be hoping that that winning smile returns, both on and off the field. 
MMIX
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
England heroes profiled