In different environments around the world, there are different types of predators.
On the African plains, the lion rules them all.

In New Zealand – there are no ‘apex’ predators. In some cases, a trout or an osprey might be the most dangerous thing you’ll encounter.

Environmentally different and certainly not reflective of their toughness, but it impacts how you grow and see things as you evolve.

The interesting thing about the African plains is that you don’t have to be a dominant male lion to survive; it helps, sure, but there are a myriad ways it could pan out.

If you’re an antelope, like a Springbok, you just need to be slightly faster than the fastest lion that comes across your path when you wake up in the morning. That’s all.

So, strategy question, do you wake up every morning to try and be the fastest antelope, or just make sure you’re not the slowest?

Or do you wake up every morning and try and be the fastest lion, or make sure you’re controlling your pride on the hunt?

It’s the law of the jungle, and to work it all out correctly is part of the game. The off-field game is also only a part of the game.

The week before a Test match is when we see the strategy heighten, the pressure mounts and the eat or be eaten mentality shifts to the forefront!

Cue the mantras from the opposition – always the same! “They’re slowing it down”, “Aah they didn’t play their best players”, “Oh we haven’t had enough prep”, “Our injury list is growing…”

Some finger pointing, some chest thumping and it’s all part of the game – the law of the jungle, it’s as old and as true as the wild itself.

Eat or be eaten – and so it begins!

There was a huge amount of conjecture about the quality of the teams that the All Blacks were playing against.

Were the midweek teams of the ‘so-called’ Kings of the Jungle up to the quality levels that the All Blacks had hoped for or expected?

There were a few journalists from New Zealand who seemed to think that they weren’t.
The same idea wasn’t shared by everybody.

The Sharks underperformed, yes, but the Bulls were resolute if under-gunned, and the Stormers were magnificent. With many of their Springboks out of the team, and their youngsters (and oldies) doing a lot to impress the grateful crowd, they really put the All Black travelling cohort to the test.

Don’t get me wrong – These tours are difficult to coordinate perfectly, the logistics are astounding.

Travel, timetables, places, tournaments, competitions, people and commercial realities. All linking together and needing to be put in place in one single calendar.
I think it’s been fantastic.

South Africa has a squad that is defined by its breadth and its depth, and Rassie Erasmus has chosen to use most of those players that were not on duty in Argentina for training against each other as part of the preparations for the Test.

That’s how he builds understanding, that’s how he builds depth, that’s how he builds resilience.

The game against Argentina was also part of a concurrent competition, so in all, the provincial sides had three squads missing before they could pick their teams.

If it hasn’t been exactly perfect for absolutely everybody all the time. Get over it.
It’s Test match time soon.

New Zealand have had to send a few players home already due to the physical nature of the games – I think they’ll miss Caleb Clarke and even Billy Proctor – good to have depth in every position when you have four big Tests looming.

Dave Rennie relies on a brutally physical game and those are the kinds of players he has selected, so we can expect to have weekly updates to our injury bench, with Siya Kolisi being our most high-profile player in the spotlight right now.

Boys on tour.

I’m obviously following the exploits of the New Zealand people who’ve come over to South Africa. I’m determined to make them have the best time ever. I’ve met some great friends already and can’t wait to spend more time with them as we go forward.

Our intrepid travelling and supporting adventurers spent most of their time this week at Mongena, an amazing camp in the Dinokeng Game Reserve in the bushveld, just outside Pretoria.

Very few of them had been on safari before, and the prospect of the Big Five, big food, big wine, and big rivalry was just too much.

They locked and loaded and had the time of their lives. (Insert pics)

It’s great to show off African bush life to travelling Kiwis; they never stop talking about it once it’s been experienced.

Okay, back to survival of the fittest. Dave Rennie and Rassie Erasmus have been trading media mentions this week, but it’s to be expected.

They’re both massively respected and successful coaches in what we believe is the greatest game on earth. I absolutely love the fact that, in the week before the first Test, nobody knows who is going to make the best move, or how they’re going to counter, or where they’re going to go to win.

On the Highveld, in the cauldron, it’s all to come. The excitement is building among the South African fans. I’ve seen the eyes and demeanour of the travelling All Blacks. They know they’ve lost here before. They know they need to set the record straight. This opening match is something that could be very important for the rest of the tournament.

Name changes, history, it all merges together as we remember the Ellis Park of 1995.
After the first Test, the players will be able to relax a little more around each other. I remember the pressure easing a bit when I was playing.

Being part of the history of this clash is amazing. I played in the 50th Test at Athletic Park in Wellington between our two countries.

I haven’t been part of this team that’s been catching the All Blacks in wins and we still don’t have more wins than them, but certainly we got pretty close in those days.

Great memories, after one of the Test matches, some of the All Black backline thought that Henry Honiball, who was tough and strong and respected by them, would be a great guy to have a chat with.

How wrong they were! We had Ilama Ieremia, Christian Cullen, Jeff Wilson and a couple of other guys all looking at Henry, going, “Yep, g’day,” and he would be, “Yep, g’day.”

Sip of beer and an expectant look at him to start a conversation.

Then looooong silence, nothing else really happened. Not his style!!

He is not an English-speaking person and was a man of very, very few words. Uncomfortable silence like I’ve never experienced!

It’s coming – are you ready?

I can’t wait.

Go Boys!