There have been many players from overseas who have graced Welsh rugby over the course of the professional era.
The likes of Xavier Rush, Regan King, Percy Montgomery, Jerry Collins, Filo Tiatia and Marty Holah, among others, all had significant impacts on the game in this country.
But few made as big of an impression as former South Africa captain Gary Teichmann who played for Newport between 1999 and 2001.
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These days Rodney Parade is home to the struggling Dragons, but at the turn of the century it was very much the place to be, with Newport RFC among the most ambitious clubs in the United Kingdom.
Under the control of former owner Tony Brown, who sadly passed away earlier this month, the Black & Ambers had a playing roster which was the envy of many clubs in Europe with the likes of Fiji lock Simon Raiwalui, Canadian prop Rod Snow, former All Blacks and Wales full-back Shane Howarth and Jason Jones-Hughes on their books.
However, the signing of the Springbok captain, who was undoubtedly among the best No 8s in the world at the time, was on a different level.
But the 42-times-capped international wasn't supposed to be playing his club rugby in Wales having originally been earmarked to captain his country at the Rugby World Cup in 1999. Fate took a different path for Teichmann who was a shock omission from Nick Mallett's squad, and that's where Brown came to the rescue.
"It was a big blow not getting selected for the Springboks in 1999 because in my own mind I had planned to play in the World Cup, and then hopefully have another year of Super Rugby," Teichmann told WalesOnline from his home in Durban.
"When that changed the other option was to look overseas. Before I had the chance to look Tony Brown approached my agent at the time so I decided to fly over and meet him.
"I had mapped out my career and originally it didn't involve going to Newport I must admit.
"The travelling in Super Rugby also took its toll. What was interesting was coming to the country where that World Cup was being hosted.
"I certainly went right into the middle of it, whereas if I'd gone to England or France the World Cup wouldn't have been right in my face."
Rodney Parade back then was world's apart from what it is now, with big crowds on a regular basis, while Newport for a time were the best-supported club in Wales.
Unlike the Dragons a lot of investment went into the Black & Ambers who had one of the most influential figures in Welsh rugby at the helm.
Brown had as much of an influence on the early professional era in Wales as the likes of Peter Thomas, Rob Davies and Stuart Gallagher.
Teichmann is full of praise for his former employer, and insists he was the driving force behind his decision to turn his back on South African rugby - and the Sharks - to sign for Newport.
"He had a massive influence on my decision because of the way he looked after the players, and had the players' best interests at heart," said the 56-year-old.
"For an owner of a rugby club that is quite unique so he was really instrumental. When he came to pick me and Franco Smith up at Heathrow Airport he made a hell of an impression on us.
"I originally came over to meet with him, saw the ground, and then went back home to South Africa to make the decision. When I came over to start my playing career here he picked us up at Heathrow in a Newport van which he could hardly drive.
"I think he was used to having a chauffeur! For the owner to take time out of his day to pick us up just showed the quality of man that he was.
"He could easily have sent a driver but he came personally, and that was who he was. He left things on the field to the coach at the time, Allan Lewis, who was a very good man.
"Off the field he would always take an interest in what we were doing over Christmas, and where he could support us. I think he appreciated that we didn't have the family around during those times, and he made sure we were all happy.
"I'll always remember at my first game at Rodney Parade, my wife asked one of the staff where the wives sit.
"Back home in Durban, Kings Park is such a big stadium the wives were given a suite where they would sit.
"She asked where the suite for the wives was, and this guy pointed to the back of the stand and said 'it's the bench at the back'."
The professional scene in Wales was two years away from regional rugby, and for Teichmann it took a lot of getting used to.
Teichmann was used to playing in the old Super 12, which at the time was by a country mile the best non-international rugby competition on the planet.
To go from playing the likes of the Crusaders, Brumbies and the Bulls to facing Ebbw Vale, Bridgend and Neath was a bit different to say the least.
"Welsh rugby was far tougher than I expected it to be," he admitted.
"The training conditions we trained under were difficult, and certainly much different to what it was like back in South Africa.
"Some of the games away from home against the likes of Ebbw Vale were really physical and tough. It reminded me of going up to play against someone like the Griquas in South Africa.
"They were a bit of a smaller club but they'd want to knock you off the ladder, and the smaller clubs would up their game when they played us.
"In those days there were only two or three games which were televised, and it tended to be the untelevised games where it got tough.
"There was a lot of jealousy a bit because I had come over as a former captain of the Springboks, and people wanted me to fail. That added pressure.
"The fact we had a number of internationals in our squad there was a hope to see the team fail. They felt we were getting paid high numbers, and there was that expectation that we were going to fall flat on our faces.
"I remember playing against ex-Wales No 8 Mark Jones who gave me a tough time but it never got out of hand.
"You have to give as good as you get without crossing the line. The derbies against Cardiff stand out for me.
"Cardiff back then were seen as the top side, and we were always desperate to beat them which added some spice to proceedings."
In those days Newport were like the Harlem Globe Trotters with players from all over the world representing the Black & Ambers to complement a strong home grown contingent.
"I loved playing with some of the local guys like Jason Forster on the flank who was a tough, uncompromising guy, who was very committed," said Teichmann.
"Ceri Jones in the front-row went on to do very well at Harlequins, and I was a big fan of the late Mathew J Watkins who was a classy player.
"Ian Gough, who was a quality lock, then signed during my second year. There was a good mix of local players and then overseas signings.
"Simon Raiwalui made a big impact. He was a classic Fijian player, while there was also Shane Howarth and Andy Marinos.
"Rod Snow added huge value to us because he was such a strong scrummager, and a real character. We had quite a mixed bag of Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans and Canadians with the Welsh of course.
"I think if we'd been able to keep that squad for a third year it would have brought the best out of us."
Throughout two years at Newport Teichmann led from the front both on and off the field, making a big difference to the culture at the club.
But for all the money Brown had spent in assembling a strong squad the Black & Ambers fell short in a lot of big games.
Undoubtedly Teichmann's best moment in Wales was lifting the Principality Cup in 2001 after beating Neath at the-then Millennium Stadium.
But while he looks back on his time in these parts with real fondness he can't help but feel the club never reached its full potential.
"There were a number of games where we were very close to winning but we couldn't pull it off, which was disappointing," he said.
"Winning the Principality Cup at the national stadium was the big highlight. Just to see what it meant to the supporters to finally get the trophy was just a great experience.
"You bring in a lot of players, and it takes time to build that squad and culture.
"I do think if we'd have bolstered the squad up in one or two areas I think we would have peaked in that third year, especially the guys who had come over.
"It takes time to adapt to a new environment in different conditions. By the second year you are certainly far more comfortable in the conditions that you are playing in.
"I think the third year would have given us a boost."
In the end, despite the best efforts of Brown in trying to persuade him to play on for another season, Teichmann decided to call it a day.
"Tony spoke to me about staying on another year but I just felt the body was not up to it anymore," he said.
"Maybe I could have pushed through but I didn't want to be a player who goes on too long. As you get older you tend to take a couple of short cuts in pre-season training, and I felt one more year would have been too much.
"Maybe we could have built on how we'd improve in the second year but unfortunately I didn't play when Ian McIntosh was head coach."
These days Teichmann runs the family's construction business in Durban, after a few seasons as chief executive of the Sharks, but he still retains a close interest in Welsh rugby, especially given the fact his daughter was born in Cardiff.
While the best days of his career were back in South Africa when he was at the height of his powers as the Springboks' captain, life in Wales gave Teichmann the opportunity to form an even closer bond with his family.
"My daughter was born in Wales and it says so on her passport," he said. "That means I'll always have a part of Wales with me.
"My wife came over to Wales crying because she didn't want to leave South Africa, but she left crying because she didn't want to leave Wales.
"Happy wife, happy life. My wife was mad when I said we weren't going to stay for an extra year but deep down I knew my body wasn't up to it.
"What was really special for me and my wife in Wales was the fact we had quality time at home.
"Of course I spent a lot of my time playing rugby but in Super Rugby I was flying all over the place to New Zealand and Australia all the time.
"We had far more time together in Wales, and it was really good for us as a family."
With the World Cup around the corner Teichmann, somewhat predictably, is backing his beloved Springboks to lift the William Webb-Ellis trophy for a record fourth time.
But while his allegiances are firmly in the South African camp he hopes Wales can at the very least make an impression in France this autumn.
"Wales as a whole has struggled over the last few years," he said.
"I'd be hesitant to give a reason why but there's something missing. If you think of past teams and players which have been produced in Wales. World rugby needs Wales to be right up there.
"I don't know the reasons why but there's something wrong they need to fix. It's disappointing to see they haven't progressed further.
"Before the last World Cup in Japan I had my doubts on South Africa because Rassie (Erasmus) only had such a short space of time to turn them around.
"It would take a huge effort from Wales to be contenders because they aren't in a good place at the moment. You'd be a brave man to put your money on Wales but it's been done before.
"Warren Gatland is a very experienced coach but I just think they might be missing a couple of game breakers that are needed to compete to win the World Cup."
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