The big difference between rugby in New Zealand and South Africa lies in coaching.
Over there in the Land of the Long White Cloud, they’ve really got some good coaches.
Those of you who have read this column over the past few years will know that I am a big fan of ex-Chiefs coach Dave Rennie.
Under him, the Chiefs were brilliant to watch.
And while Rennie is currently coaching in Scotland, I do believe that post-Steve Hansen, he will be one of the frontrunners to coach the All Blacks.
But Scott Robertson has been doing a great job at the Crusaders in the last two years.
Let’s be honest, looking at their team sheet, you won’t drop a number two in your pants. That’s until you see them play and realise that this machine is simply unstoppable.
Over here in South Africa, we don’t have coaches of that quality.
And the reason for that is simple: we bury them once they have drunk from the poisoned chalice that is the Springbok coaching job.
In Allister Coetzee, Peter de Villiers, Heyneke Meyer, Jake White and Nick Mallett we have five coaches who have been at the top.
Yet none of them are coaching our Super Rugby teams.
I do get that this isn’t how the Kiwis do it, but I believe in order for the next generation of coaches to come through, these ou Bokke have to nurture them.
It has been done at national level with Johann van Graan, now coach of Munster in Ireland. But that’s one.
Imagine having Meyer at the Bulls, post-Bok coach Coetzee at the Stormers, White at the Sharks, De Villiers at the Lions and Mallett coaching the Cheetahs as they try to win the Pro14.