Someone did say "the day the Manawatu Turbos beat Wellington is the day hell freezes over".
I didn't think it would actually happen! To take my mind off the fact the game between Otago and the Turbos has been postponed, I started planning a family holiday to Port Elizabeth, so that my son can see his South African grandparents and we can enjoy some sun.
It was heartwarming to see the PE locals cheering and greeting the All Black entourage with open arms as if they were welcoming home their long-lost grandsons.
I wonder if my son will get the same reception from his Afrikaner grandparents if he toddled off the plane wearing an All Black jersey?
The swarm of black jerseys greeting the team as they disembarked in the "Friendly City" indicates that there are probably more people in South Africa wearing the black adidas rugby jersey than there are in New Zealand at the moment.
Is it surprising to see the archrivals of the Springboks embraced in this manner just before a Tri-Nations game on their home turf?
Not really, if you consider the political history of the Republic, the status of the All Blacks, and the hospitality of Eastern Cape residents who have waited patiently for the All Blacks to return to their province after a long hiatus.
Rugby relations between South Africa and New Zealand have always been intense and controversial. During apartheid, many coloured and black rugby supporters would cheer on the All Blacks because the Springbok team represented white supremacy and domination to many.
They also saw more brown faces in the New Zealand team than their own.
The last time the All Blacks played a test in the "Windy City" of PE was in 1970, the year four players of Maori and Samoan descent - Buff Milner, Blair Furlong, Sid Going and Bryan Williams - were given "honorary white" status.
Their involvement in this controversial tour was seen by some as progress in terms of acknowledging the rights of Maori and Pasifika players in New Zealand to represent their country, but was seen by others as selling out to the racist regime in South Africa at the time.
Either way, there is no denying that the All Blacks, including their honorary white players, made an impact on the black and coloured communities in Port Elizabeth and the Eastern Province because they've had a strong affinity with the men in black ever since.
As a transformational leader, Nelson Mandela was clever to use the RWC in 1995 to unite his rainbow nation and turn a symbol of apartheid and racial segregation (rugby and the Springbok jersey) into a symbol of unity and forgiveness.
This doesn't stop some, however, continuing to embrace the All Blacks and what they represent.
The last time PE residents had a chance to see the All Blacks up close and personal was in 1996 when the "Incomparables" played a midweek game there.
The midweek team managed to beat the Eastern Province team 31-23 and it was a significant year for many reasons.
Rugby had just turned professional, the All Blacks were on a revenge mission after their loss at the Rugby World Cup finals, and they managed to do what their forebears hadn't and win a series on South African soil.
So, taking all this into consideration it is no surprise that after 15 years, players like Ma'a Nonu, Sonny Bill Williams and Piri Weepu are treated like long-lost cousins by the locals.
A quick search on the web suggests there are quite a few All Black Supporters Clubs established in South Africa in places such as Worcester, PE and Cape Town.
For some it is a political statement about resisting what the Springbok jersey used to represent for many years, but for others it is about following a team they consider to be exciting, excellent and exhilarating.
One such supporter stated that he saw the All Blacks when he was just 10 years old and he's been hooked ever since. In his words, "South Africa is my country but the All Blacks are my rugby team".
Who knows? Maybe my son's South African grandparents will be saying the same thing one day when he plays for the All Blacks.
When hell freezes over.
