RugbyRebels

Biggest prize in NZ rugby.

Waikato, naturally, are the holders of the Log O' Wood. It goes up against North Harbour this weekend.

Mooloo should walk it. Harbour are shit at Shield challenges.

As predicted, we walked it. 26-15.

Next up is Manawatu this weekend. With close wins over Northland and Southland, the Turbos are 1st = in the Championship, but have yet to be properly tested. The Shield should be staying where it is.

Are Wellington up for a challenge any time soon?

You know Wellington were the first winners, and also the first province to take it on tour, doing so after WWI, and they took it to first division provinces too, including Auckland. I don't think anyone has done the same since. Auckland should've returned the favor, I believe, during their long and ultimately boring tenure of the late 80s/early 90s...

Waikato play Welly in Welly this year (final round) so no direct challenge.

As far as I can make out, Wellington needs Manawatu to take the shield off Waikato this weekend, or for Taranaki to take it in Week 5 then lose it to Manawatu in Week 6. Manawatu must then defend against Hawkes Bay in Week 7 to set up a Wellington Challenge in Week 8. If Wellington win, they would have a tricky defence only 4 days later against Taranaki (Week 8 is the Lions' turn for 2 matches), and potentially a final defence in Week 9 against Waikato.

This is the one thing I don't like about the Shield format. It does involve quite a bit of luck. So it's not like boxing, for example, where the holder is invariably the best and must defend it against challenges from the best of the rest. I seem to recall occasions when some fairly formidable provincial teams have had to wait two or three years or more to get a challenge in.

I find that part of its charm. At least in the NPC era it's not just up to the holder to accept random challenges.

Have you caught up with the Raeburn Shield?

Lizard wrote:Biggest prize in NZ rugby.

Waikato, naturally, are the holders of the Log O' Wood. It goes up against North Harbour this weekend.

Mooloo should walk it. Harbour are shit at Shield challenges.

Nothing natural about the log of wood residing in the tron.

We should have just painted it red and black when we had it last.

Another brave but failed challenge, this time from Manawatu, repulsed by the mighty Mooloo.

We've got a warm up at Eden Park this weekend before Taranaki come knocking on 18 Sept. I'll be in Washington DC so might struggle to find live coverage.

If we get through that, then it's only Canterbury and Hawkes Bay to go before we can lock the cabinet for the season.