It may not have the historical significance of SA's isolation-busting Test against the All Blacks in 1992, but there is intense expectation ahead of the Springboks' series against Georgia in July.
The Boks will mark their return from the 18-month pandemic break with two matches against opponents who know a thing or two about coming in from the cold.
Georgia may be a tier-2 country by World Rugby's standards but their performances over the past decade or so have inspired debate on their potential inclusion in the Six Nations.
Unlike the Boks, they have had valuable recent game time in qualifying matches for the Rugby World Cup 2023. In the qualifiers they beat Portugal, Spain, Romania and arch-enemies Russia.
Their unbeaten run has put them on the brink of qualifying for the World Cup in France in two years' time.
Though World Cup qualification is paramount, Georgia's coach, Levan Maisa-shvili, is relishing the opportunity to measure his team, not just against a tier-1 heavyweight but the world champions.
"For us it is a big honour to play against SA, the world champions. And to play two games is a big opportunity for us," Maisa-shvili said from Tbilisi.
To suggest that Georgia are game for exposure would be an understatement. The fact that they have played the Springboks only once (a World Cup pool match in Sydney in 2003), underlines the dearth of opportunity tier-2 nations have against the game's heavyweights.
Maisashvili, who had a three-month coaching internship at the Sharks academy in 2006, is undaunted by playing the Boks in SA rugby's backyard. He claims he understands what makes the Boks tick and that matching them upfront is non-negotiable.
"I know the strength of SA rugby very well. It will be difficult to play against them. They haven't played since 2019 but they have played against each other.
"Everyone knows Georgia has a strong pack. But if you compare with Rugby Europe competition and tier-1 countries, we can't play the same way from our scrums. That's why we have to develop other areas. We have to play different scenarios, try different things. We know we have a good scrum but everyone knows SA's scrum is one of the best scrums."
Maisashvili said Georgian rugby had undergone a challenging time after the last World Cup when key players retired.
"Now we have a lot of young players who had good experiences in the under-20 team. We always have a very strong front row. Our props, the majority of them play in France. The backs mostly play in the domestic championship. Some play in France and one plays at Gloucester," he said.
Georgia may not have unlimited talent but they are resilient and redoubtable opponents.
Their confrontations with Russia are among rugby's fiercest rivalries.
"Everyone knows we have an issue with Russia. They used to occupy 20% of our territory. We understand rugby is not for politics but the situation is such that when we play against Russia we know it is not just about rugby. When we play against Russia we always have extra motivation. That is the reality. We can't do anything about it. They occupied us."
It is fair to say that many Bok rugby supporters have Georgia on their minds.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.