Shield fever alive and well

Don’t let anybody tell you Ranfurly Shield fever isn’t alive and kicking.

Because the glum mugs on the losers, the ecstasy smeared across dials of the victors, and gleeful fans turning up at airports to hail their rugby heroes tells another story.

In fact, provincial rugby as a whole feels revitalised, even while All Blacks coach Ian Foster handcuffs players.

Just go back and re-live Hawke’s Bay rake Ash Dixon’s sheer joy after his match-winning try snapped a 38-year drought against Canterbury. He won a Super Rugby title with the Highlanders in 2015, but he’s never looked happier than he did in Napier last Saturday night.

Ranfurly Shield a hot potato

Would someone hold on to the damn Log o’ Wood already?

Then again, it’s been entertaining watching it travelling up and down the country the past few weeks.

Canterbury, Taranaki and Otago have already held it this year, and are we about to see it change hands again?

It sure is beautifully set up for Hawke’s Bay, fresh from ending a 38-year drought against Canterbury, to repeat their 2013 heist in Dunedin, which equalled the second-equal shortest (seven days) tenure.

The Shield sure is a tough one to hold on to. No team has notched double-digit defences since Hawke’s Bay’s 12 across their 2014-15 reign.

Any All Blacks playing this week?

It doesn’t look like it.

There was talk of Dane Coles being released to play for Wellington against Canterbury, but it hasn’t eventuated.

Lock Quinten Strange was set to get a run for Tasman against North Harbour on Sunday, only to damage an ankle at All Blacks training in Hamilton this week.

He’s out for up to eight weeks and has been replaced by Canterbury’s Mitch Dunshea, who will play against Wellington tomorrow night, before joining the All Blacks in Wellington the following day.

We’re going to keep revisiting this, given there are plenty of folk wondering why Foster isn’t releasing more players.

Surely six or seven players in the 35-man squad, players Foster knows damn well won’t play in the looming Bledisloe Cup tests, should be playing provincial rugby.

Forget it. He made that clear this week. ‘‘Apart from that, seven days out from our first test, the answer would be ‘no’,’’ he said.

Last chance to impress Foster

The Rugby Championship scheduling debacle forced Foster to delay naming an extra 11 All Blacks, which will balloon his squad to 46 for a nine-week stint across the ditch.

As soon as it’s sorted, and it’s hoped it will be in the next week, he will confirm the extras.

You have to think Foster all but knows who he is taking, but round four looks set to be the last chance for players to catch his eye.

That includes the likes of Magpies No 8 Marino Mikaele-tu’u, Wellington centre Peter UmagaJensen, and Auckland prop Angus Ta’avao.

Under-pressure Canterbury

There ought to be a few anxious Canterbury fans ahead of tomorrow night’s clash against Wellington in Christchurch.

Fresh off consecutive one-point defeats to championship sides, the red-and-blacks are staring down the barrel of a second straight 1-3 start to a campaign.

The Lions won both fixtures between the sides last year, too, a 23-22 thriller in Wellington, before

Tasman 3 Wellington 3 Auckland 3 Waikato 3 Canterbury 3 Bay of Plenty 3 Nth Harbour 3

Hawke's Bay 3 Otago 3 Southland 3 Taranaki 3 Northland 3 Manawatū 3 Countiesmanukau 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 0

2 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 2 2 3

1 1 1 1 1 3 3 129 99 109 111 84 56 58

61 72 41 78 88 63 56 62 84 57 81 72 82 95

52 82 37 81 95 129 96 3 3 2 2 3 2 1

2 2 1 1 1 1 0 15 11 10 10 7 6 1

10 10 9 9 9 1 0

sending them packing in the semifinals with a comfortable win, also in the capital.

As last year showed, 1-3 isn’t curtains, but it’s a tough slog back.

Duck-breaker

Countiesmanukau won’t get a better chance to bury their lousy 11-match losing run than tomorrow afternoon, when the Turbos come to Pukekohe.

With golden-point introduced to this year’s competition, one of these sides will be in an ugly 0-4 hole by 4pm tomorrow.

The good news for the loser is they are unlikely to be the only team without a win by the conclusion of the round.

Because North Harbour have the stiffest test of all this weekend, playing the high-rolling Tasman Mako in Auckland on Sunday afternoon.

Good luck with that.