Just over two months ago, Mike Stanley kicked two penalties to give Samoa an early 6-3 lead over South Africa in front of 40,000 people at Villa Park.

The Springboks went on to win the World Cup pool match, 46-6, bringing the curtain down on a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the 25-year-old Samoan fly-half.

Tomorrow, Stanley could find himself lining up in an Old Elthamians shirt in wet and windy Cornwall preparing for a crucial National league Two South clash against an in-form Redruth side.

It’s an accurate reflection of the rollercoaster nature of Stanley’s career so far, but one which has been defined by his sheer love for the sport, as he admits. “I don’t really get caught up with myself and my own career,” he says. “The World Cup was a great experience but I’d rather look forward and focus on what’s next.

“Gavin [Lach] got in touch with me about a month ago and I was impressed with what he had to say. Old Elthamians are obviously a very ambitious club and to be part of that appeals to me.

“I’m excited about this new chapter of my career, it brings about some new challenges. Whenever you get the chance to give something back to the sport, whether it’s coaching, playing or teaching youngsters, every chance you get you should take it with both hands.

“To be honest, I just want to get my boots back on and get back out on the field. I had a few niggles post-World Cup and it’s now just a case of getting my match fitness back up.

“A lot of the boys at OEs have played at a higher standard, so they know what to expect in National Two and I can learn from them. Hopefully I can bring something a bit different to the table as well.”

Stanley’s family are steeped in rugby history. His uncle Joe won the first World Cup with New Zealand in 1987 and two of his cousins also represented the All Blacks. Other cousins are playing in the NRL while his younger brother, Sam, is part of the England sevens set-up.

His father, Glenn, was a good rugby league player and moved to England 20 years ago soon after Mike was born in Auckland, New Zealand. Mike grew up in Thurrock, attending Gable School in Essex and had clearly inherited the Stanley rugby genes.

He joined Saracens Academy and represented the England Under-16, 18 and 20 sides alongside players such as Ben Youngs, Courtney Lawes and Joe Marler, and was tipped for big things.

However, Stanley’s progress was partly derailed by a medial collateral ligament knee injury but also by a disillusionment in the treadmill nature of academy rugby. "To be honest I had fallen out of love with the game," Stanley told the Daily Telegraph. "I didn’t want to train anymore. In England, it gets quite serious at quite a young age. You have a lot of kids coming through the academy so it is very competitive and I had forgotten that rugby was meant to be fun."

But when he was released by Saracens, Stanley spent a season playing for Southend in National Two South where he admits he rediscovered his love for the game.

He decided to go back to New Zealand to try to rebuild his rugby career. After a season with Ponsonby in the Auckland league, Stanley was picked up by Counties Manukau, the ITM Cup side coached by former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga.

It was a decision that paid dividends. In September 2014, he was called up by Samoa for their European tour and made his debut off the bench in the Islanders’ 24-13 defeat to Italy and was promoted to the No 10 shirt, kicking 13 points in Samoa’s 23-13 victory against Canada in Vannes, France.

The next stop was Twickenham in the autumn internationals, where he was sent on for the last quarter of an hour in the 28-9 defeat by an England side that had old pals Lawes, Youngs and Marler in their line-up.

He was training with Super 15 side The Chiefs when Irish province Ulster, without two of their fly-halves due to long term injury, came calling in February this year. Stanley signed for them on a short term contract until the end of last season as cover for Ireland fly-half Ian Humphries at number 10.

Although he enjoyed his Ulster experience, Stanley picked up a hamstring injury which sidelined him and left him in a race against time to recover in time for the World Cup.

Thankfully he was fit enough to join up with the Samoa squad and appeared twice during the World Cup in the matches against South Africa and USA, scoring nine points. “The World Cup was an unbelievable experience,” he said, “but it wasn’t until I had actually gone home, that it really sunk in what I had just achieved.

“It’s been very difficult adjusting to life post-World Cup because it’s the pinnacle of every rugby player’s career. It’s been quite a long year personally and quite draining. I had a few things in the pipeline during the World Cup and they fell through for one reason or another. I found myself looking for a club. My initial plan was to spend a bit of time over here with my family and then return to New Zealand. But things have changed.

“A major attraction of coming to Elthamians is the chance to work with younger players at the club and Eltham College and help them improve and develop as players. I was at the College for the first time last Sunday and was really impressed with the facilities there. I’m really looking forward to getting involved with that.”