It may be a sign of our times that the fast-approaching British & Irish Lions rugby series will likely produce a battle won by deception and subterfuge.
Himself partial to a game of smoke and mirrors, Rassie Erasmus, SA Rugby's director of rugby, has a nagging feeling this Lions tour might break with tradition. For obvious reasons it already has.
He contend, given the composition of Warren Gatland's squad, that the Lions coach has options that allow him to put into action vastly different game plans and strategies in the three-Test series.
Lions tour folklore may be littered with tales of how close-quarters combat eked out the inches that ultimately won the day, but the relentlessly restless Erasmus hypothesised series honours could be found in the wide-open spaces.
"The way he has selected his side and his assistant coaches, I think he's got something up his sleeve," said Erasmus.
"I don't think we are going to see this battle of attrition. Not grinding it out like we did in the semifinal of the World Cup. I think he's got other plans," said Erasmus in reference to Gatland's ways as Wales coach.
Erasmus believes the revised tour schedule, which features two Tests on the Highveld, partly shaped Gatland's selections.
"Given the loose forwards he's picked I think he's got a few plans. Having coached the Lions so much he obviously knows the pitfalls. Getting guys aligned very quickly. The way he selected his squad, his captain, his support staff, especially his assistant coaches, his attack coach [Gregor Townsend] combined with who the Scottish players are, we will definitely see change in his game plan. Maybe he's just throwing us some bait," Erasmus said.
Crucially, too, Gatland has assembled players capable of keeping up with the Boks in lung-bursting conditions on the Highveld.
"For the first time the altitude won't play a part. Both teams will be travelling from Cape Town for the last two Tests in Johannesburg," Erasmus said.
The time he spent in Ireland as director at Munster helped deepen Erasmus's insight.
"They have fast, explosive loose forwards," he said with reference to Hamish Watson and Sam Simmonds. "I'm not sure if Courtney Lawes will be the back-up flank or lock. I know Tadhg Beirne, I signed him for Munster. I know what he can do," he said about the versatile forward.
"Even the props are mobile and fast. It is interesting how Gatland selected that squad. It is almost like a team that can play on the Highveld in winter, and at altitude. I think those boys can move."
Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber also noted the Lions were hard to pigeonhole.
"He has selected a well-balanced side. How many fullbacks has he selected? Stuart Hogg, Elliot Daly, Liam Williams, Anthony Watson, Josh Adams, Louis Rees-Hammett.
"Duhan van der Merwe has improved under the high ball a helluva lot. They could go the aerial route, but then you have the magic of a Finn Russell. With Ali Price, you have a good combination there.
"The Lions can go coast to coast and they can go with a massive kicking game. A kicking nine, 10 and Owen Farrell at 12. He's got left and right options.
"He can play a running or a kicking game. It will be a nice challenge," said Nienaber.
Van der Merwe's inclusion in the squad has been a big talking point. Van der Merwe, who left SA in 2016, joined Montpellier before moving to Edinburgh a year later.
It is there that the wing began to soar. Erasmus reckons they know him "pretty well". "In 2014 he was in the Junior Springbok team that lost in the final in New Zealand," said Erasmus.
"He played SA Schools, SA under-20 and he trialled in the sevens set-up. I don't know why he didn't make that, or what his decision was.
"He has come the full path in SA rugby. We don't have the mindset that if he doesn't play here he doesn't deserve to play elsewhere. Good for him. It's weird, but we are proud of him."
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