Beaten Stags look to shield challenge

NPC The scores

Wellington .............................. 41

Nehe MilnerSkudder 2, Asafo Aumua,

Sione Halalilo, Connor GardenBachop, Aidan Morgan tries; Aidan Morgan 3 con, Jackson GardenBachop con, pen Southland ............................... 28

Morgan Mitchell, Quinn HarrisonJones, Blair Ryall tries; Robbie Robinson 2 con, 3pen

Halftime: Wellington 2113.

IT might have to be shield or bust for Southland this season.

The Stags slumped to their fifth straight loss in the NPC when they fell to a 4128 defeat to Wellington in Invercargill on Saturday.

There is a generous playoff system — four teams out of seven in each pool get a chance to extend their season — and the Stags have at least got four bonus points out of the first half of their campaign, but it is a reasonable bet they will have little to play for in the coming weeks but pride.

Oh, but did we say something about a shield?

Southland still has one significant chance to make 2022 a bit special when it heads to Napier this weekend to challenge Hawke’s Bay for the Ranfurly Shield.

Stags Nation loves a good shield reign, and it would be just the tonic for a rugby province that is trying hard and often highly competitive but is just not good enough right now to be much more than a nuisance.

The Stags looked keen and committed in the first half at Rugby Park, leading 30 after 24 minutes and 137 after 36.

Talk about false dawns. Wellington, which had been a bit sleepy, rattled on two tries in the dying stages of the half, the second a belter to Highlanders fullback Connor GardenBachop.

It was windoutofsails time, and Wellington rubbed salt into the wound when veteran winger Nehe MilnerSkudder grabbed a brace to start the second spell.

The Stags finished strongly — their third try, to new loose forward Blair Ryall in the last minute, was wonderful — but the final result was all too familiar.

Their fans will hope that special shield helps create something special this weekend.