London Irish prop Ben Franks is desperate to return to the Premiership as they face Yorkshire Carnegie in the play-off second leg on Wednesday.
Franks, 33, who joined the Exiles from the Hurricanes in 2015, was relegated down to the Championship in his first campaign at the club.
But after a strong campaign playing in the second tier, Franks is determined to get past their opponent in Reading after a testing season.
"Mentally, the Championship has been one of the toughest competitions I've been in, because I didn't want to go down into it and let myself down," he told the Daily Mail. "I didn't want to let my standards slip so that people came to see me play and just said, 'look at Ben Franks, just p***ing around'."
"To mentally get up for the games every week has been a challenge, because for some of the games I could probably count on both hands and feet the amount of people watching. There's been no TV and no hype around it. It's all on you to mentally get yourself up for games – and there are a lot."
Franks, whose London Irish side has an 11-point cushion from the first leg of the final, admits it's been an old school experience in the Championship this season, but something he has relished in different challenges and settings.
"Guys have tested me out," he said. "I've definitely been a target at times. Without all the cameras around, it's more like rugby 10 or 15 years ago, with the stuff you can get away with. It definitely brings a different edge to it, which at times I've enjoyed!
"On the whole, guys I've played against have been really good in a traditional rugby way; giving everything on the field then shake hands at the end. Some guys have gone out of their way to give me a bit extra, but I've always tried to give it back!"
The All Black also looked ahead to the upcoming British and Irish Lions tour and feels the visitors may stun New Zealand next month.
"I think the Lions can surprise people in New Zealand because they've definitely got a lot of attacking talent and skill in that squad. I think it's going to be interesting. Obviously I want the All Blacks to win, but I want it to be a really close, tough series," he added.
"Traditionally, with the All Blacks in those June Tests, we were always a little rusty in the first one, then we'd have found our footing a bit by the second or third. That's why the All Blacks have put in that game against Samoa as preparation, but the Lions will have had weeks together by then. If the Lions can take that first Test, anything could happen I think."
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