Tries: B Milne, H T-Pole
Pens: R Apanui (2)

Southland n. 1.Regional province of New Zealand's South Island. 2. Dark, cold environment where notable GE experiments have gone disastrously wrong. 3. Home of the legal union between first cousins.

There are a few certainties in life and all three revolve around the province of Southland:
1. All Southlanders have a extra digit on their right hand
2. 62.5% of the population are yet to graduate to walking on two legs
3. Matches between Southland and North Harbour are dour and lifeless occasions.

Southland is the forgotten illegitimate child of Aotearoa. Nothing of note happens there and it is likely that apart from the sun rising and the occasional outbreak of unannounced animal insemination, Southland will be concealed and neglected by the embarrassed parents who conceived it.

If it is not enough that they are dull and featureless, they feel an obligation to share their misery with the rest of the nation. They bring their soulless, unexciting brand of rugby and force our usual dynamic style into unexpected hibernation. (Well not totally unexpected).

If you know anything about the game of rugby union you would of heard of the matches between ourselves and the men from the Deep South. These are, at best, appalling examples of sporting endeavour and competition. I used to think that this was our fault but why take the blame when we can force it upon a weaker opposition.

We must say however, as eluded to in previous match reports, Harbour have this rather annoying habit of playing well, playing shit, losing narrowly, get a whipping and winning again by a slender margin. Last night was to be no exception.

After the sexually arousing juggernaut that was beating the scum, this week we were to display a hopelessly poor performance in front of 17 people and a dachshund called Raymond. To any so-called fans out there, if you support a team you generally go to every game, you don't pick and choose. I'm stopping now 'cause trying to change the apathetic attitudes of the typical 'Shore citizen is about as difficult as trying to catch a NASA module re-entering the Earth's atmosphere that has parted company with its parachute.

While most acknowledged the game was an error-ridden match, the fact is that five points were banked. This puts us in a bit more favourable position on the ladder and exerts a wee bit of pressure on the lessor teams below us. (Auckland for example) As a former great indoor-footballer once said, "points on the table beats games in hand". Luke and Nick both had excellent games though one or two more passes could have seen the score balloon out to a try-fest. Brent Wilson cemented his spot with a well-worked try, Gear Jr and Tuitavake chimed in valuable finishing displays and by and large if we weren't happy with the state of rugby we should be happy with the result.

I've seen worse.

harbourrugby.com questions:
1. Looking forward to more games v South Africa yet?
2. Looking forward to the new Super 14 franchise in Bloemfontein?
3. Is Stu Wilson the most hideous indvidual ever created?
4. When Stu Wilson was playing elephant polo in Thailand with some transexuals, which team was he in?
5. When is Sky sacking Stu Wilson?
6. Do you cry when Evans & Gear Jr play well & then you realise that they're not really ours?
7. Will Harbour ever get any supporters of substance?
8. Can other North Harbour codes get their own logo?