I’d be so jealous of the Kings and the Cheetahs players if I was stuck in the Currie Cup, it’s just not true.
I know you’re not supposed to be jealous, but those guys are the jammy bastards in rugby at the moment, aren’t they?
It’s probably at this point where a youngster such as Damian Willemse is thinking what if I wasn’t the first-choice at Western Province? What if I was the back-up?
Well, young Damian, you would probably have played in Llanelli, Wales, this weekend.
That’s where Coleman and his Kings teammates - a team filled with Currie Cup rejects played and performed against the champions of Wales, Ireland and Scotland, the Scarlets.
The crowd numbers were booming - much better than that of the Currie Cup.
The opponents have played international rugby.
You get to learn new cultures.
You adapt to new playing conditions and you get to see the northern hemisphere.
Sounds like a dream. And it is - especially for players who are looking to break the big time and prove that they can play against the seasoned campaigners.
I can imagine contracts getting more intriguing in the future.
If I was a player on the verge of the Bok squad, I’d seriously try to get a three-month loan deal to either the Kings or the Cheetahs.
It’s there where you can truly shine and get noticed by the national team selectors.
Let’s be honest, eternal light is calling the Currie Cup.
Crowd numbers are dropping at a disturbing rate - it has for a number of years now.
A three-month loan deal will allow players to grow big time.
For years there have been talks of a movement to the northern hemisphere.
I’ve always been against it as I can’t see us not playing against New Zealand teams regularly.
But maybe that’s the way to go. Maybe that will bring back those magic moments to South Africa v New Zealand again.
During the isolation years these Tests weren’t possible, and maybe we’ve been fed too much of them in recent years.
It’s easy to get trapped in a web when you compare yourself to your superiors all the time.
The South African Rugby Union therefore has done well to test the waters.
And while it’s still early days and they haven’t made a big splash yet, I believe that within a few years South African rugby will dive in head first.
Changing the South African rugby calendar will even breathe new life into the Currie Cup - which I believe should be played at the start of the year with the best of the best then getting their opportunities to shine for their respective franchises.
I mean who picks a team before having trials?
Cutting ties with their Sanzaar partners New Zealand, Australia and Argentina won’t go down smoothly though - it will be a battle.
But I say to Jurie Roux, Mark Alexander and company, arm yourselves and go in with a battle plan that will not fail.
Maybe then when we play the All Blacks again in a few years’ time, it’s the Springboks that will be feared again.
Who knows, but long may the dream continue...