Craig Newby & co. warm up before the clash with Otago

There is a new peril in the jungle of professional sport. First name Otago, last name Rugby. Like a disillusioned Rhodesian poacher he traverses, disheveled and tired in an inhospitable environment where only the wily and cunning survive. Long has he forgotten how to develop and cultivate his own precious resources, this man has sunk to the depths of a scavenger, living off scraps that he carefully manipulates and steals before leaving his tell-tale

Otago have a lot to answer for in the new professional landscape. No longer can they actively produce talent of their own, they have to resort to feeding mercilessly off the Super 12 draft system. Once caught in the net, offers of cash and nubile blonde students flood in to tempt the weak and the foolish. They have much experience in this area as most of the population are transient, looking fondly to the day that the degree arrives and their suffering (only numbed by excessive alcohol consumption) can be ended.

North Harbour has been an unfortunate casualty in this new era. Consistently unearthing rugby genius has become a burden to our fledging Union caught between growth and the influence of it's Blues partner - the scum. The scum hold us down, repeatedly beating our bruised bodies in the hope that we might go away and think only of what is good for Auckland.

Combine this evil Big Brother willing to go to any lengths in which to extinguish our future and add the criminal practices of Otago, we have an uphill battle to continue, but not impossible.

The game itself was a rather dour and ugly occasion. Played in front of 8 people in awful conditions, the spectacle was never going to set the world on fire.

If we were to take the positives out of it then it would be defence and an ability to get the right result when it mattered most.

Nick Williams had another solid game and I felt most of the players put their hands up except at the back of the ruck and maul where service was slower than the Britomart Express from Papakura. At times the halfbacks seemed to be excavating forgotten Egyptian artifacts such was the painful time it took to see the ball.

You can get too negative about the little things and the fact remains that we won, needed to win and delivered the right result to further our improving season.

The game bored me a bit so no more comment will be forthcoming.

The fixture next Saturday against the cow-fiddlers from "Sleepy Hollow" will provide the litmus test for the 2004 season. Winning away down in that shite-hole will boost the confidence of the players and supporters (all 9 of us) alike. We are reaching the crest of a decent wave but the shocking and quite humorous demise of Taranaki is an example to those who get carried away with earlier success only to find their pants firmly around their ankles.

A win will go a long way to a semi-final berth and chance to show the "Big Five" what true rugby is all about.