6.27pm: Some late emails coming through.
Some rooster called Jamie McGregor wants to have a civil union with Shaun Troon. Hmmm.
Dave Cannan says "dare we believe?". Obviously sent before the Mackintosh try.
And Peter Wright in Brisbane yells "come on Otago". Sorry Peter.
6.24pm: Did I say bugger?
6.21pm. Congratulations Southland.
You've breathed life into the Shield, you've got a ton of heart and you've got some bloody great supporters.
Go on and defend the Log for the rest of the year, please.
6.18pm: Bugger.
Bugger, bugger, bugger, BUGGER.
Brave effort from Otago. Brave, brave effort.
But it's 22 failed Shield challenges and counting.
That hollow feeling in the stomach remains.
Why the HELL can't we win this damn shield?
6.15pm: Game over.
Southland winds the clock down.
Southland 16, Otago 12.
6.13pm: Bugger. Southland penalty.
Why didn't Otago take some risks there and give the ball some air?
Two minutes to go.
6.10pm: Otago hot on attack!
6.08pm: Why do we put ourselves through this agony?
6.04pm: Clock is ticking and this is AGONY.
Plenty of time left, but does Otago have anything left in the tank?
Come on somebody. One moment of inspiration is all we need.
6.01pm: Ohhhhhhhh.
Sam Hibbard yellow card.
Jamie Mackintosh try.
And just like that, Southland has a 14-12 lead.
Stags deserved that.
Otago must dig deep now. 12 minutes to go. Otago MUST score next.
Wilson lovely conversion. Southland up 16-12.
5.57pm: Great defence by Otago.
Southland hard on attack and throwing the ball around.
But Otago scrambling really well.
Huge display of guts by Otago. Really good stuff.
They want this shield bad.
5.54pm: A Southland kick goes out on the full.
Otago goes on attack.
And Dickson kicks a drop goal!
Otago 12, Southland 9!
5.51pm: Southland gets a penalty.
Wilson lines up.
This to level the scores . . .
And it's good.
9-9 with 22min to play!
5.48pm: Otago flanker Eben Joubert is down hurt.
Shoulder?
Paul Grant on, so Thomson will move to 6.
5.46pm: Southland gets a penalty and kicks for the corner.
Otago's defence has been magnificent. Will it hold up?
NOT STRAIGHT!
I repeat: everything going Otago's way . . .
5.42pm: This is so tense.
The game itself is fairly average. Lot of kicking.
But so much at stake, and the margin of error is so fine.
The dream is alive and Otago still leads 9-6.
5.35pm: Robinson misses a penalty.
Everything going Otago's way.
And then Wells kicks out on the full for Southland!
The Stags ain't roaring.
5.32pm: More emails.
Bevan Smith says he can feel the tension all the way from Perth.
And someone called Troon, Shaun is dialed in from PNG. Welcome, fellow Waitakian.
5.30pm: Forty minutes away from immortality.
5.26pm: That's halftime at Rugby Park.
Otago LEADS Southland 9-6.
The Shield is coming home!
Maybe.
Otago has played a whole lot better than last week. That's a good point.
Southland has not had enough ball, and it has looked slightly rattled at times. That's another good point.
I've got a good feeling in my gut. That's neither here nor there.
5.20pm: Our first email!
Lynda Steele writes: "Damned frustrating I can't watch this free to air because I don't have SKY.
Go Otago!"
Thanks Linda.
5.19pm: Southland kicks out on the full!
All signs point to an Otago win.
5.18pm: And ANOTHER moment that goes Otago's way.
Southland was awarded a scrum, but then the touch judge spotted a high tackle, so the penalty went to Otago.
Dickson kicks the goal and Otago has a 9-6 lead. Nearly halftime.
5.13pm: Whisper it quietly, but a lot of the little things are going Otago's way.
Southland just fumbled at the back of a scrum.
And the Stags are NOT playing that well.
5.10pm: Glenn Dickson is having a shot from 58 (!!!) metres.
Seriously.
Finishes well short. Strange decision.
5.09pm: The Kid misses a penalty for Southland.
Still 6-6. Cagey, cagey, cagey.
5.08pm: Injury break.
Told you this game was going to be close.
Don't forget you can email me on bigmeiks@gmail.com with your questions and comments.
5.04pm: Well, this hasn't been a classic so far. Both sides a bit nervy and there's been a fair bit of whistle.
Dickson kicks for goal from right in front and about 26m out. He doesn't miss those.
6-6 after nearly half an hour.
4.59pm: Great break by Josh Tatupu but a team-mate gets pushed out.
Dickson is back on. Southland might regret not scoring more points in his absence.
Otago has a great opportunity, but loses the ball in a ruck.
4.57pm: Smith gets another shot at goal, about 32m out and 12m in from the right-hand touch.
And . . . it . . . is . . . off to the right again.
Early days but you've got to take your points in games like these.
4.55pm: Ben Smith attempts a penalty for Otago and pushes it off to the right.
But as long as it can get through the next few minutes unscathed, it will feel relatively happy.
4.54pm: Southland is not making the most of its one-man advantage.
Just had a big overlap and James Wilson kicked it out on the full.
Otago on attack now. And the minutes are being chewed up.
4.48pm: Glenn Dickson has been shown a yellow card by referee Jonathon White.
Looks like he dumped Matt Saunders in some sort of dangerous tackle.
Big blow for Otago.
Robinson kicks the penalty.
Southland leads 6-3 and Otago is down to 14 men for 10 minutes.
4.45pm: Glenn Dickson 47m penalty attempt.
And it's good!
3-3 after 10 minutes.
4.43pm: Shortland puts through a grubber but it's too long.
Keep it in hand, Otago.
4.41pm: Robinson tries to run it out of his own 22m and throws a forward pass.
Good opportunity for Otago.
First scrum, and of course it has to be reset.
Southland free kick. For what? Who knows.
4.39pm: Early Southland penalty in its own half.
Stags win clean ball and look good for a few phases.
Another penalty, still in the maroon half. Wilson finds touch, Boys takes the lineout, and it's ANOTHER penalty.
Robinson kicks for goal . . . and it's good.
Southland leads 3-0.
4.34pm: And we are good to go.
This is gonna be HUGE.
4.25pm: OK, time for some final thoughts.
Southland is a deserved favourite. The Stags have a clear edge up front, and have solid and experienced players right across the park.
But I wonder how they will cope being such a red-hot favourite. And deep down, do they have a hang-up about playing Otago?
Otago has been in a rut for three years, and was horribly out of form against Counties last week. It also hasn't won the Shield in 53 years.
But Adam Thomson, Alando Soakai, Ben Smith, Kees Meeuws, Hayden Triggs . . . these are fine rugby players. There is no reason Otago should not have a chance.
I predict Otago will start strongly and build a 10-point lead. Then Southland will wake up, and scores will be level or near level with 15 minutes to play.
Then it is anyone's game.
Otago 23, Southland 20. Pray with me now.
4.20pm: The new Southland cheerleaders, decked out in brilliant orange, are strutting their stuff in the middle of Rugby Park.
They ain't the Laker Girls, but they're not bad.
Crowd still pouring in. Fullest I have ever seen this ground.
4.15pm: Sad news from Oamaru, where my Valley boys have been pipped by Old Boys in the early Citizens Shield semifinal.
Darn it.
Waikato has just scored a late try to beat Auckland.
4.09pm: And before I forget, make sure you all get out and sign the petition to keep neurosurgery services in the South.
It's a great cause, and they will listen if we make enough noise.
4.08pm: Questions, comments and suggestions can be sent to me at bigmeiks@gmail.com
And yes, you are welcome to email me, Mum.
4pm: The fans are just pouring in now. Really impressive crowd building.
Tension is rising, too, and not just in a press box split evenly between ODT and Fairfax South lines.
If the weather holds, and if both sides play with ambition, this could be a real cracker. No, I'm serious.
3.57pm: And so to the team news.
Southland winger James Paterson has been scratched. Otago remains unchanged.
Otago: Small, Shortland, Smith, Tatupu, Vainikolo, Dickson, Romans, Thomson, Soakai (c), Joubert, Triggs, Matenga, Hibbard, Mirrielees, Meeuws.
Southland: The Kid, Horton, Lynn, The Great Matt Saunders, Wells, Wilson, Cowan Junior, Dixon, Boys, Hardie, Tuineau, Bekhuis, King, Rutledge, Whopper.
3.42pm: First, the good news: It's neither raining nor snowing.
But it is chilly down here in Invergiggle, and it's getting chillier.
Will it affect the game? Possibly. But it's not like either side is not used to playing in the cold.
The Otago players are out warming up. Coaches Phil Mooney and David Latta are on the prowl, looking swish in black.
3.35pm: Welcome to sunny (almost) Invercargill, one and all.
You know why we are here. It's Otago v Southland, for the Ranfurly Shield. That's as big as it gets.
The gates are open at Rugby Park and the fans are streaming in. The train bringing a few hundred Otago fans to the game has just arrived.
Back shortly with the weather situation.
