Then, on one occasion, the Red's pulled off a miracle - thrashing the Bulls by 25pts. The following Friday night he gleefully attended a church braai with his head held high and boerewors in hand ready to whip out some retaliation.
However, the conversation quickly turned from the Bulls poor performance, to how difficult it was for the South African teams to travel to Australia and New Zealand for extended periods without their families or support networks.
He soon discovered there is no more a dangerous animal in all of Africa than an annoyed South African rugby fan standing watchfully over a braai, armed with tongs and trying to cook a 1kg lump of Kudu to precision.
As he limped away from that encounter, he began to seriously consider the difficulties faced by all sports men & women (and their families) required to travel great distances in the pursuit of sporting glory.
So the question is he raised was - are elite sporting competitions in Australia working with athletes and their families to provide a working environment conducive to a healthy and sustainable lifestyle?
It seems that the Super 14 governing body, SANZAR (South African, New Zealand & Australian Rugby) have responded to that question with a resounding 'Yes' having announced changes to the 2011 season that'll significantly cut down on travel, by implementing a 'conference system'.
However, other leading sports competitions are not going to same length as Rugby to accommodate the needs of elite sportsmen & women.
Cricket continues to increase the number of playing days for their athletes (although players are partly to blame for chasing money in India) and elite Rugby League players are smashing their bodies together in over 30 matches each year.
It's virtually impossible for the family of a player to travel on tours with the team. In fact in many cases it's discouraged. During the recent Winter Olympic Games the United States Olympic Committee issued a 'tip sheet' to inform the families of competitors how they can best help the athletes.
The only problem was, that apart from "Have a great time", all the tips were negative in nature and explained to families why they would not be in a position to provide support for the athletes during the games.
http://www.teamusa.org/resources/team-usa-vancouver-fan-guide/tips-for-an-athlete-s-family-friends-at-the-games
Clayton is hardly an apologist for elite sports people but he does wonder if the governing bodies of elite sporting competitions have truly connected the dots between a player's access to support and family structures with on-field performances and off-field indiscretions.
As the Australian "winter sports" competitions progress through their seasons, he predicts athletes will become more vocal about this issue particularly as senior athletes consider their playing future.
There are many references in the Bible to the importance of family and the need to surround yourself with people who will lift you up and will be a positive influence on your behaviour. This is important not only for athletes but for all of us, whatever our vocation may be.