This week the Bok conversation was meant to be about the Sharks travelling to the UK with Kolisi in the squad, but instead it quietly became about who isn't available. Eben Etzebeth was sidelined again, just weeks after returning from suspension. Whether it's a short setback or something longer, it ultimately matters because the second-row picture for the July Tests against England, Scotland and Wales was already tighter than the depth charts suggest.
Watch the URC weekend closely. There are more Boks in playable minutes this weekend than any other round this season. There's Kolisi with the Sharks in the UK, a handful in Ellis Park for the Lions-Glasgow clash, Pollard and the Bulls heading to Newport with playoff pressure building. Rassie will be watching, and so should you.
The story I keep coming back to is Pollard's public backing of Ivan Papier for a recall. That's unusual. Senior Boks don't often campaign for teammates in the press, and when they do, it lands. Papier's Bulls form is genuine, the scrum-half picture is unsettled, and Pollard doesn't say things he doesn't mean. If Papier gets the nod for July, remember where you read it first.
Quieter note: JJ van der Mescht at Northampton. The massive oke of almost 150kg and skills of a back, who's already in the alignment squad. I think he'll get a bomb-squad cap this year, and he's certainly worth watching for the years beyond the next cycle.