Regex matching and template replacement operators in Swift

I just LOVED this Gist from @morion_black, so I thought I would extend it a little bit to be a little more efficient if the same regex is used multiple times AND to support template replacement. Love tuples, love custom operators. Future me is going to be livid at how much I over-used them. 

// 
// Original Playground taken from https://gist.github.com/u10int/a178945a451d48d4c961
//
// Extended to include >< to use the regex to apply a replacement template pattern
//
import Cocoa
struct Regex {
    var pattern: String{
    didSet{
        updateRegex()
    }
    }
    var expressionOptions: NSRegularExpressionOptions{
    didSet{
        updateRegex()
    }
    }
    var matchingOptions: NSMatchingOptions
    var regex : NSRegularExpression?
    init(pattern: String, expressionOptions: NSRegularExpressionOptions, matchingOptions: NSMatchingOptions) {
        self.pattern = pattern
        self.expressionOptions = expressionOptions
        self.matchingOptions = matchingOptions
        updateRegex()
    }
    init(pattern:String) {
        self.pattern = pattern
        expressionOptions = NSRegularExpressionOptions(0)
        matchingOptions = NSMatchingOptions(0)
        updateRegex()
    }
    mutating func updateRegex(){
        regex = NSRegularExpression.regularExpressionWithPattern(pattern, options: expressionOptions, error: nil)
    }
}
let r1 = Regex(pattern: "[a-z]")
let r2 = Regex(pattern: "[0-9]", expressionOptions: NSRegularExpressionOptions(0), matchingOptions: NSMatchingOptions(0))
operator infix =~ { associativity left precedence 140 }
func =~(left: String, right: Regex) -> Bool {
    let range: NSRange = NSMakeRange(0, countElements(left))
    if right.regex {
        let matches: AnyObject[] = right.regex!.matchesInString(left, options: right.matchingOptions, range: range)
        return matches.count > 0
    }
    return false
}
func =~(left: String, right: String) -> Bool {
    return left =~ Regex(pattern: right)
}
operator infix >< { associativity left precedence 140 }
func >< (left:String, right: (regex:Regex,template:String) ) -> String{
    if left =~ right.regex {
        let range: NSRange = NSMakeRange(0, countElements(left))
        if right.regex.regex {
            return right.regex.regex!.stringByReplacingMatchesInString(left, options: right.regex.matchingOptions, range: range, withTemplate: right.template)
        }
    }
    return left
}
func >< (left:String, right: (pattern:String,template:String) ) -> String{
    return left >< (Regex(pattern: right.pattern),right.template)
}
"a" =~ r1
"2" =~ r1
"a" =~ r2
"2" =~ r2
"2" =~ "[a-z]"
"2" =~ "[0-9]"
var iLoveLetters = "a" >< (r1,"$0!!!!")
var iHateNumbers = "d" >< (r2,"$0!!!!")
"Hello, Objective-C!!" >< ("Objective.C","Swift")
"Hello, Objective C!!" >< ("Objective.C","Swift")
"Hello, ObjectiveC!!!" >< ("Objective.*C","Swift")