They say that time heals all - but Kurtley Beale will get the chance to make amends for his infamous 2013 conversion slip if he makes the Western Force side that will face the Lions this weekend in the first match of the series.
A moment that has etched itself into Lions folklore, Beale's conversion attempt after the bell in Brisbane to win match one saw the star slip while taking the shot - with the attempt having the accuracy, but not the legs.
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However, it is a moment the 95-capped veteran has made his peace with in the 12 years since.
"It was a crucial moment in the series, wasn't it?" Beale admitted to reporters on Wednesday.
"Plenty of learnings from that day onward. I was just very thankful to have strong teammates around me to pick me back up and get my focus onto the next game in game two.
"I still haven't watched it properly, but you learn from that. You put yourself in training, put yourself in those kind of situations week in, week out. Try to correct your wrongs.
"It's just an ongoing process and I feel like I've done that now. As rugby players, it's never-ending, right? You're always learning, even at my age - you're continually working on your craft and goalkeeping for me has always been that."
Having had some time in the saddle after returning from an Achilles injury in 2024, Beale will come in extremely handy for Simon Cron's men, serving as a valuable head of experience for a young Force side that will aim for a better result than 2013.
"[I have been] sharing stories with a lot of the guys here in the team," Beale admitted.
"Just how big it's going to be and just making sure that they enjoy it and embrace the week and the opportunity to play against some world-class players.
"A lot of the young guys that were introduced in the last five years have now matured. They're week-in, week-out rugby players.
"They've got that experience and they're not afraid to throw the ball around and to test their skills and just really embrace the occasion. That's a big focus for us this week, going into a challenging game against the best in the world.
"Obviously the Lions, a disappointing loss against Argentina, but they'll be coming back firing and really wanting to start the series off on a positive note. We understand that. The focus for us is to make sure that we can put in a performance that we can hang our hats on proudly."
The inevitable questions of the forthcoming three-Test series against the Wallabies were hard to ignore, but Beale admitted that he's been impressed with the growth of the side under Joe Schmidt - and that a tour such as this is a crucial opportunity not only for the national side, but provincial sides as well.
"I think Joe Schmidt's got a great coaching staff behind him and the Wallabies are building nicely," Beale added.
"The Northern Hemisphere tour last year was a really good indication of that, really testing those teams up there and building a lot of cohesion and connection.
"I think the Lions series is up there at the pinnacle of the game.
"What a great way to showcase the world, the Western Force, WA Rugby and just rugby fans in general.
"WA is usually an AFL state, you're competing against other codes. Rugby League just announced the Perth Bears. They'll be coming here in a couple of years.
"I think Perth, now living here, is kind of becoming the sporting capital of Australia, competing with Melbourne."
While Beale is likely to feature for the Force, the veteran could also be in line to line up with the First Nations Pasifika Invitational XV side. However, he admitted that the focus has primarily been on the Force before any further conversations come up.
"[I'm] just focusing on the Force this week, getting through this game unscathed and then, hopefully the opportunity will come after that," Beale said.
"There hasn't been any chat about that. But it'd be great to be a part of it. Playing the Lions as many times as you can would be awesome.
"Australia's such a multicultural country. Being a First Nations, a proud Indigenous man, I think it's a fantastic opportunity for us as a nation to show the world, the rugby world, our talent.
"There's so many Pacific Islanders around Australia, and if you look at the Wallabies squad, there's so much representation there. I think the more rugby you play, the better."
With questions around the First Nations Pasifika invitational XV side set to be answered in due course, the Force will kick off the tour this weekend against the Lions - and Beale expects the WA side to be vastly improved compared to previous results: with a 69-17 loss in 2013, and a 116-10 loss in 2001.
"We've been training pretty hard for this. This one's been locked into the calendar for a long time now," Beale affirmed.
"Guys are raring to go. It's just a wonderful occasion, a wonderful opportunity for all involved to get out there and put in a proud performance in front of our home fans."
