The Wallabies have limped off to Argentina so it's time for a showdown between the Rugby Championship winners and their arch-rivals in South Africa.
Planet Rugby's Ross Hastie returned to the Highveld - where some Lions have added green to their gold - to give you a view from the inside.
Day 7 - When Lions add green to their gold
With Australia's mobile nurse's office heading towards a fierce reception in Rosario and the All Blacks travelling in the opposite direction with an extra, rather heavy, rather significant, piece of luggage, it's been easy to overlook the other tournament that should be getting attention on the Highveld.
But the Currie Cup is worth talking about this year, especially for the teams from Jo'burg and Pretoria.
Despite haemorrhaging players to greener pastures at a rate that must be giving the management at Ellis Park sleepless nights, the Lions look like a decent bet to defend their title.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Jukskei River, the Blue Bulls - South Africa's richest union - find themselves in the embarrassing situation of lying stone last (and potentially facing a promotion-relegation play-off against Eastern Province).
Interestingly, their respective fates lie largely in each other's hands since they are set to meet at Ellis Park in the last fixture of the regular season.
Good news for the Bulls is that they'll have their Boks back by then, while the bad news for the Lions is that they'll be without their three best players - Elton Jantjies, Jaco Taute and now Lionel Mapoe - for this weekend's tricky trip to Griquas. (For the record, prop Patric Cilliers is the fourth Lion in the Bok squad).
Jantjies has been on the verge of breaking into the national team for a good two seasons now but has a lot of competition for the 10 jersey. Taute, however, has burst onto the scene and could be a star in the making. With Frans Steyn on his way to the operating theatre and Jean de Villiers on the wrong side of 30, Taute's prospects - both long and short term - look bright.
He seems like well-grounded young lad. Even in the aftermath of his Test debut, he still had a thought for his Lions team-mates, who had upset Western Province in Cape Town earlier in the day.
"Just before we started our preparations I check in on the game," admitted Taute.
"I'm relieved they pulled it off. I feel really good in the Lions squad and I'm very proud of the guys."
The 21-year-old made a solid start to his Test career at Loftus and he appears to have the kind of character that thrives on big occasions.
"I felt very comfortable from the start," he said.
"The first few minutes and the national anthems were very emotional. I could barely hold back my tears.
"It is true what they say about your debut just flying by. I can barely remember a thing.
"It was what I expected and more. We could sense how much it meant for the country and its people."
Next week is set to be another special day, in front of 90 000 fans in Soweto.
"I went to the Test [at Soccer City] last year as a spectator and I promised myself that one day I'd come back as a player," said Taute.
"That is why you play. To play for the Springboks against the All Blacks and have millions of people behind you."
Indeed, judging my the comments coming out of the All Blacks camp upon their arrival on Monday, Saturday's crowd is already having an influence on the game...
Day 6 - The truth lies between the lines
Day 5 - Springboks rule at Loftus
Day 4 - When your friend is your enemy and your enemies are friendly
Day 3 - Quade Cooper: The Kevin Pietersen of rugby
Day 2 - Reconciliation at the Casino?
Comments
gazzabok says...
In an ideal world, Australia would have their own local cup competition and wouldn't have to destroy the 2 finest local cups in rugby to try and enrich their game. Not that it is working.....
Posted 11:06 02nd October 2012
new_j4a says...
If the world were perfect, there wouldn't be poverty and hunger and following this week's final round of the Rugby Championship, there would be a finale that consisted of an AB B+ side playing Oz as a curtain raiser to the AB A- side playing the Boks, both games played in Oz with the gate takings going towards building Oz grass roots rugby and the TV revenues going to combat hunger.....win-win scenario with the distinct possibility that the ABs would emerge with the bragging rights that they beat both contenders on the same day....a once every 100 years opportunity if they could pull it off.
Posted 08:49 02nd October 2012