He has played in plenty of them, between his eight All Blacks tests and long Highlanders career.
These days, he has crept into the category of a veteran at NPC level.
That experience will be valuable for Otago tonight as it runs out to face Manawatu in its Championship semifinal in Palmerston North.
"It’s just getting them into that mindset that it’s just another game of footy," the 31-year-old hooker said.
"Everything’s exactly the same except the name of the game — it’s a semifinal. It is a game of footy.
"It’s going to be a little bit faster, a little bit harder. But nothing changes. You tackle a guy, you pass the ball, you catch it, you carry.
"It’s just doing all those little jobs, but you fine-tune a little more. It’s just getting into their heads along that sort of lines.
"It is just another game and they’re all talented and great footballers. So they just have to go out and do their jobs."
Coltman returned from a knee injury a month ago.
Initially, it was thought it would rule him out of the entire NPC campaign, but the lockdown break and subsequent season extension allowed him to make it back on the field.
That knee was now fine. There was no pain, although he was strapping it up.
Otago has lost just once since he returned — and by only two points, against Waikato last week.
A rusty Otago team, coming off its extended break after the NPC’s restart, was beaten by Manawatu in the last clash between the sides.
Some one-off defensive errors, as well a disjointed attack, hampered Otago that day.
Coltman felt Otago had gone from "strength to strength" over the past month.
He said the team had focused on itself and doing its jobs well.
However, he knew Manawatu would pose a tough challenge.
"Manawatu are a good side, there’s no doubt about that.
"They’ve got some rock star players, especially in that backline. It’s definitely on our cards to try to go one better than what we did last time.
"We managed to draw a couple of byes before we played our first footy at the start of the round. It’ll be good to go up there and rip into it."
Coltman, who is yet to win a title with Otago,
acknowledged he was nearing the end of his stint in blue and gold.
He has signed on for both the Highlanders and Otago next year, which will be his 13th season in Dunedin.
Nothing had been confirmed beyond that, although he said at some point he would like to go overseas and experience something different.
Otago has named a largely unchanged line-up to the one that played Waikato last week.
Josh Dickson replaces Will Tucker in the only change, while blindside flanker Sam Fischli’s red card from last week was deemed too harsh a sanction and he has been cleared.
National Provincial Championship
Palmerston Nth, 7.05pm today
Otago: Sam Gilbert, Freedom Vahaakolo, Matt Faddes, Sio Tomkinson, Vilimoni Koroi, Josh Ioane, Kayne Hammington, Christian Lio-Willie, James Lentjes (captain), Sam Fischli, Josh Dickson, Josh Hill, Jermaine Ainsley, Liam Coltman, Josh Hohneck. Reserves: Ricky Jackson, Abraham Pole, Tau Koloamatangi, Fabian Holland, Slade McDowall, James Arscott, Cameron Millar, Ray Nu’u.
Manawatu: Nehe Milner-Skudder, Tima Faina’anuku, Josiah Maraku, Jason Emery (co-captain), Ed Fidow, Brett Cameron, Logan Henry, Brayden Iose (co-captain), Shamus Hurley-Langton, TK Howden, Ofa Tauatevalu, Micaiah Torrance-Read, Flyn Yates, Ray Niuia, Harrison Allan. Reserves: Ben Strang, Joseph Gavigan, Darius Mafile’o, Veikoso Poloniati, Johnny Galloway, Griffin Culver, Drew Wild, James Tofa.
