Friday night’s match between Canterbury and Southland is yet another acid test for both provinces as the play-offs loom.
Both sides have played consistently well this season and it is not inconceivable that they will meet again in either a quarter-final or even a semi-final.
A win will therefore be psychologically important as both sides prepare for what promises to be one of the toughest and closest play-offs in the competition’s history.
Canterbury coach Rob Penney said after Saturday night’s match against Hawkes Bay that his side needed to finish more of the opportunities they were creating. That will undoubtedly be a goal for the Red and Blacks on Friday, although the home side will make it far from easy.
Southland has been one of the success stories in New Zealand domestic rugby in recent seasons. They of course came agonisingly close to beating Auckland a few weeks back to win the Ranfurly Shield.
They also showed an enormous amount of spirit against Bay of Plenty last week to almost snatch a win when they all but looked down and out.
Southland are a side with plenty of heart and which, as usual, have played with an enormous amount of spirit. That said, they have a fair amount of skill in their ranks as well.
Flanker Tim Boys was a stand-out for the Highlanders against the Crusaders during the Super 14 this season and has performed well in the Air New Zealand Cup.
Jimmy Cowan has of course been one of the stars of the All Black campaign this season and will be looking to carry on his good form into the end-of-season tour.
Kendrick Lynn and Robby Robinson have shown that some of the best performers in the domestic games are often those who go unheralded. They will be worth watching and will undoubtedly be an attacking threat.
Hoani MacDonald continues to be one of the best all-round locks in New Zealand rugby and must have been very close to earning an All Black jersey in the last year or two.
A challenge for Canterbury will be to dampen down early the enthusiasm and self-belief that this Southland side will possess. The Red and Blacks will have to do more than that, however.
They will have to do what their coach wants and finish more opportunities.
They will need to play the way they know they can for the full 80 minutes and ensure that they have plenty of momentum going into a home quarter-final the week after.
They will have to be clinical on attack and ensure that their outstanding defensive record is maintained. They will also have to want the win more than Southland.
While there were aspects of Canterbury’s win against Hawkes Bay that did not impress Penney, he must have been happy with the fact that Canterbury was able to dispatch a top-four team by 24 points. This was not an easy or pretty win, but it was a good win.
Penney has seen his young team develop and prosper as the season has progressed. While they have had their ups and downs, the steady climb up the points table is testimony to their general collective improvement.
Playing Southland in Invercargill will be no walk in the park, although that is not what the Canterbury coaching staff would want ahead of the play-offs.
An ideal result for the Red and Blacks would be a tough match against a very good opponent, with hopefully a win (and a bonus point) to show for it. In this respect playing Southland in Invercargill is an ideal challenge.
Canterbury has never enjoyed playing in Invercargill. For some reason it is one of those places (like New Plymouth) where the Red and Blacks find it difficult to win.
Yet this Canterbury side has shown that it knows how to eek out ugly wins. With competition alive and well for starting places, there is an enormous amount for players one to 15 to play for this Friday night.
When you take into consideration the quality of the two teams, their respective form during the season and the importance of building momentum as the play-offs loom, this promises to be great match.