Ash Stiven and Karl McDonald sometimes glance at each other across a rugby pitch and shake their heads at the weirdness of the situation.
The best friends and long-time business partners will meet each other twice on the field of battle this year.
Stiven is the physio for the Samoan rugby team, and McDonald holds the same role with Japan.
Those nations clashed in Sapporo at the weekend — Samoa took the honours 24-22 — and will have a potentially epic rematch on September 29 in Toulouse during the Rugby World Cup.
"We are both excited for the World Cup," Stiven said.
"Any sport at that level is cool to be involved in and many teams are much closer with respect to their ability, so it will be a very interesting tournament."
The pair became close after graduating from Otago with their physiotherapy degrees at the end of 1995.
They joined forces to establish SportsMed Otago, the first multidisciplinary sports medicine clinic in the province, which led to branches in Southland and Mosgiel.
McDonald had 15 years as the physio attached to the Southland Stags and was also with the Highlanders and the Kiwis before joining Japan.
Stiven had a similarly long spell with Otago rugby, spent five years with Otago cricket, and had six years with Japanese clubs Honda, Sanix and Kubota before linking with Samoa.
It was "a very special experience" to see his mate "Macca" on the other side of the pitch in Sapporo, Stiven said.
"We have both worked hard and been very lucky to have these opportunities presented to us. Both of us have been very supportive of each other.
"In games like that, there is the odd laugh and chat through the 80 minutes, but international footy is pretty intense with a lot of comms coming down the line, so we are all pretty focused for the 80."
McDonald found it equally enjoyable.
"It was a very special and surreal moment to be sharing the sideline with my best mate and will be even more special at the big dance in Toulouse when the stakes are so high," McDonald said.
"It’s such a privilege to be on the sideline together but a bit more intense than it was 20 years ago at Bathgate or Montecillo, playing for the SportsMed Trophy."
The high-stakes world of test rugby made it difficult to think too much about sharing the arena with his mate, McDonald said.
"There is a bit of time on the sideline for the odd word and banter but mainly we focus on our jobs, checking that players get up from the collisions and passing on coaches’ messages.
"It can get very intense in the red-hot atmosphere of a close test but there is certainly time for a beer and catch-up after."
McDonald said a World Cup year was intense, and spending five months away from family was a lot to sacrifice.
The Otago connection in the Samoa-Japan clash does not end at the medical staff.
Former Highlanders coaches Jamie Joseph and Tony Brown guide Japan, while former Highlanders and Otago midfielder Seilala Mapusua coaches Samoa.
The godfather of the test rugby physio world is Pete Gallagher, the former Highlanders physio who has held that role with the All Blacks for 18 years.
