The side has played two games so far in the new competition for the Tuppy Diack Memorial Shield.
The competition, which was named after one of the favourite rugby players in the South, includes five teams from the South.
Diack, who was born in Gore, was a one-test All Black who then went on to be the first man to play 100 games for Otago.
The former winger was a stalwart of Otago and southern rugby and was seen as the ideal person to name the new competition after.
Southland Country, Otago Country, Southland Metro and two teams from Otago Metro — north and south — make up the five teams in the competition.
Southland Country lost their opening game to Otago Metro North 38-24 and then went down to a Stags-packed Southland Metro side 31-20.
Country coach Rob Blatch said his side had played well in the two matches but it was a step up from what they had been playing.
"But it is good for guys. If guys want to take the next step up and play at the next level then this is the level they need to reach.
"The two Dunedin metro teams are pretty sharp teams so we did well to stay with the north team for much of the game. The guys are really enjoying taking them on," he said.
"You learn you have to be very clinical and work hard in everything you do against these Dunedin teams."
The games were very physical, he said, and the country side were playing up to that level.
Standout players for the side have been prop Troy McIvor and lock Harrison Morton while Taylor Peterson, the team’s vice-captain, has been showing his talents well at fullback and first five.
The team faces competition leader Dunedin Metro south in Dunedin on Saturday and will look to put up a good fight in the match. It then has a big rivalry game in Balclutha on August 30 against Otago Country.
Otago Country has won the past couple of games in this encounter so Southland want to get back on top. There will be also be age-grade games between the two sides in Balclutha on August 30.
Southland Country beat Southland U19 55-19 in a match at Riversdale on Saturday.
Southland Metro have had two heavy defeats to the two Otago Metro sides, losing 52-7 to the southern side and 65-28 to the northern side.
