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The Australian number 9 jersey is more up for grabs than it has ever been.
In professional times, if your surname began with the letter G, you held (and mostly deserved) this position for lengthy periods of time.
Others only received the glorious gift of invitation to feed the ball in at scrum time through the sweet smell of injury (Josh Valentine and Brett Sheehan, say thank you).
But coach Ewen McKenzie has indicated he will select on current form, thus the battle for the scrum-half position is shaping up to be a hotly contested one.
The incumbent Will Genia was deservedly pulled by the Reds on the weekend. His snipes from the ruck have been somewhat nullified recently, while his box-kicking is looking ineffective.
The positive news for Genia is that he is world class and will have every Super Rugby game as an opportunity to prove his claim for the gold jersey.
His back up, Nick Frisbee, makes sports fans more nervous than watching Zeljko Kalac try defend a World Cup football match.
So who can replace him? Like many questions in Australian rugby, it unfortunately won’t be answered out west.
Nick Phipps is the fittest player in Australia and his move to the Tahs is a smart one. It is hoped building a more consistent on-field relationship with fly-half Bernard Foley might highlight Phipps’ own skill-set more. Sharing the cooking with the same guy at home can’t hurt either.
Brendan Mckibbin is the best second-best halfback in any Super Rugby team. Apart from staking his own claim, he will push Phipps to a higher standard.
The Brumbies’ Nic White appears very focused. Despite a poor first hit-out against the Reds, he kicked like a foregone conclusion against the Force and if he maintains this point of difference, he will earn the right to be there when decision time comes.
Which brings us to the player I believe will get first dibs on the gold jersey – my man-crush, Luke Burgess.
It is not uncommon for players to come back refreshed and invigorated from overseas stints (Joe Roff comes to mind) and I believe the time away from Australia has developed Burgess into a more complete and experienced player.
On the weekend, he celebrated his return to southern shores in fine fashion, with a superb outing for the Rebels. He directed his team with confidence and scored a quality five pointer.
Immediately after, rather than soak up this achievement, he formed a half-way huddle and barked further orders to his troops – don’t rest, look forward.
His love for creatine has also proved beneficial – his size works well for him in contact, occasionally running around as an extra loosey.
If anyone dare question his defence, remember Sam isn’t the only Burgess to have punished Sonny Bill Williams; YouTube Luke’s hit on SBW from his first Barbarians encounter.
The doubters will claim Burgess is like moving-in with your girlfriend – he either makes or breaks the situation. Having always played at a hyperactive pace, he’s been seen as the man to help chase down a lead, but maybe not the one to hold onto it.
Yet I am going to bet Burges has improved his skill-set.
Away from the game, Burgess has matured by living abroad, immersing himself in a different culture and becoming a family man. The sporting field can be a funny thing – attain balance off it and it tends to follow you when you run back on.
Enough predictions, let it unfold. Competition is healthy for the standard, and in the professional era it has never been so tight.
May the better half win.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.