Only a few weeks ago, Dragons coach Dai Flanagan described Jarrod Evans as "arguably the most attacking fly-half in the northern hemisphere".
That was days before the Cardiff fly-half masterminded a comeback victory over Flanagan's side on Boxing Day, setting up two tries after being introduced from the bench and also produced a clutch kick in the final seconds to set up the field position for the winning score.
Chances are that Flanagan wouldn't have changed his pre-match assessment that Cardiff are a "very dangerous team when Jarrod plays" and that "he can do stuff no one else in Welsh rugby can do", even if it was begrudgingly after the result at Rodney Parade.
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There are few players in Welsh rugby who can excite quite like Evans, but that hasn't always related to Test selection. Evans has won just eight caps for Wales since making his debut in 2018.
It was all the more strange as he seemed to fit the blueprint of Wayne Pivac's Wales. Having started Pivac's first match in charge against the Barbarians, his last appearance in a Welsh jersey came against Argentina in the summer of 2021.
However, with Warren Gatland taking over from Pivac and Gareth Anscombe out injured, there could be a spot in the Six Nations squad for the in-form playmaker. Certainly, for Cardiff boss Dai Young, he's doing the business in Blue and Black week-in, week-out which is all that matters.
When asked whether his recent form could result in a Wales recall, Young said: "I honestly don't know, but all Jarrod can do is put his hand up.
"We're lucky that we've got two quality 10s who play the game differently. That's not a criticism.
"Rhys Priestland who has much more of a kicking game and sits back in the pocket, takes care of field position and Jarrod who takes the ball to the line a bit more and has more of a running game. That suits us when we play different teams. One can start and one can come off the bench.
"But Jarrod is as good as anything I've worked with as a running 10. No doubt about that. Anscombe is injured so he has to look for other 10s.
"Whether Jarrod fits into that, I don't know is the honest answer. I've not spoken to Warren about it but I know he didn't seem to be part of Wayne's plans. Wayne didn't feel he suited the style of game he wanted, but from my end, he's as good an attacking 10 as I've worked with.
"It's all he can for his part is keep on putting his hand up and playing well. Hopefully he's the sort of guy Gats is looking for."
Certainly, for his team-mates in the Cardiff backline, there's a sense that whenever Evans gets the ball in his hands, there's a decent chance you could be put into space in the moments that follow.
"The way he takes the ball to the line and manipulates defenders, holes just seem to open up around him," said Cardiff and Wales wing, Owen Lane. "As much as I can, I just try to get on his shoulder and usually he's good for putting you through a couple of gaps."
At times though, it has felt like more attention has been paid to what Evans doesn't offer, rather than what he does. During John Mulvihill's time in charge at the Arms Park, the Australian was very keen on the fly-half's range of passing and love of both codes - union and league.
However, back then, the criticism lay around his kicking and game management. Those fears haven't exactly gone away in some eyes, even if using them as a stick to beat Evans with now is more than a little unfair.
"His goal-kicking is very good," added Young. "That's without question.
"His game management has improved out of sight. His first instinct, and we love him for it, is to run rather than kick, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's the wrong thing to do.
"I think his game management when we needed game management has stood up well. A lot of it is to do with the message we give him. The message that we give him is that in certain areas and circumstances, we expect him to play field position.
"But in other circumstances where we feel there's opportunities to run, by all means run and we back him to do that. It all depends on the message we give him. I think he does get criticised unfairly and he's improved in that area."
When Gatland names his first Welsh squad since returning to the job in just over a week's time, Evans' name might be in there. It might not.
Regardless of that, he'll keep on troubling defences at the Arms Park as he has done for much of the season. His team-mates, at least, will be grateful for that.
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