KEY POINTS:
Take a look at Waikato captain Tom Willis.
He's been around a while, even allowing for cruel luck with injuries. You'd have thought he and the Ranfurly Shield would have crossed each other's path reasonably regularly down the years.
In fact, Willis has yet to lift the shield
and has been in a shield-challenging side just once, ironically for Otago against Waikato in 1999. Otago lost 29-17.
He was in the Otago squad a year later when Canterbury turned the southerners back 29-26.
And that's it. But Willis hopes to develop a more than passing acquaintance with the Log when he leads Waikato out against holders North Harbour at Albany tomorrow night.
"It certainly feels a hell of a long time ago," he said yesterday.
"There is a real buzz. For some it will be a once-in-a-career opportunity.
"Waikato has a reasonably proud history of shield rugby, but only Marty [Holah] and Jono [Gibbes] have played in shield-holding teams.
"In that respect, there's so many who are unfamiliar with it."
Willis isn't fooled by those writing off Harbour's hopes of hanging on to the shield, given some ordinary performances this season, in which they've had one win, two draws and a bad loss to Hawkes Bay.
"I imagine it must be very difficult to defend challenges and know you've got to go in week in, week out and do well in the Air New Zealand Cup," he said.
"Some of their mixed results are a reflection of that pressure. Now they've got the shield on the line this week we'll probably see the best of them."
Waikato have pushed the one-off nature of tomorrow night's match this week.
"Forget the cup, forget the table, forget chasing bonus points. Put it all aside and say, 'You don't get to do it every day'." Willis can vouch for that.
Waikato first five-eighths Stephen Donald reaches his 50th appearance tomorrow.
He has kicked 19 of 21 attempts at goal so far, for a 90 per cent success rate, the best in the cup.
They have a sturdy pack, with a classy loose forward trio, but have had to make a late alteration in the backline.
Winger Jared Payne is out with a quadricep strain, his spot going to James Kamana.
Harbour aren't fancied by the TAB. They sit at $4.25 to win, compared with Waikato's $1.20.
Their coach, Wayne Pivac, isn't losing sleep over that. He said the Harbour players were upbeat about their second significant challenge of the season, after seeing off Taranaki on August 4.
"To be honest, the weeks that we've played with the shield, it's not been a problem getting them up," he said. "The guys love playing at home here. They love playing for the Ranfurly Shield. It means a lot to them."
Harbour will need big games from key players, notably No 8 Nick Williams and livewire centre Anthony Tuitavake, lock Greg Rawlinson and back three George Pisi, Vili Waqaseduadua and Rudi Wulf.
This is Harbour's first reign with the shield. There are times when an extra spur is needed. This is shaping as one of them.
So their first captain, and All Black great, Wayne Shelford, will present the players with their jerseys on the eve of the match.
