Try beating ...
"A little bit of Shield magic would be lovely."
So spoketh (writeth?) The Last Word a week ago. And lo, it did come to pass.
I had tipped Otago to beat the Minor Evil Empire — seriously, ask anyone — but with 20 minutes to go in Christchurch, like you, I was sighing and starting to turn my attention to that evening’s Merseyside derby.
Then the miracle happened.
Mad props, as the kids say, to Sam Gilbert and Mark Brown and instant Shield hero Lucas Casey and the rest for their amazing, inspiring, utterly wonderful performance.
Just hold on to the darn thing, please. And give the Old Golds the first challenge next year.
... this Shield team
That makes it four Ranfurly Shield successes in the modern era for Otago.
Which, naturally, makes me wonder: who makes a combined Otago team from those four winners (2013, 2018, 2020, 2025) of the Log o’ Wood?
I am considering only players from the starting XVs on the day the Shield was won.
Tony Ensor (2013), Freedom Vahaakolo (2020), Michael Collins (2013, 2018, 2020), Thomas Umaga-Jensen (2025), Jona Nareki (2018, 2020, 2025), Josh Ioane (2018, 2020), Dylan Pledger (2025), Paul Grant (2013, captain), Lucas Casey (2025), Gareth Evans (2013), Josh Dickson (2018), Tom Donnelly (2013), Josh Hohneck (2020), Liam Coltman (2013, 2020, 2025), George Bower (2020). Reserves: Henry Bell (2025), Abraham Pole (2025), Scott Manson (2013), Tom Franklin (2013), Slade McDowall (2018, 2020), Fumiaki Tanaka (2013), Hayden Parker (2013), Vilimoni Koroi (2020).
My bad
In my post-Shield excitement, I made a blunder in a story in Monday’s paper.
While it is true this season has featured five teams holding the Log, that has MATCHED a record, not SET a record.
I spotted the 1950 season had featured musical chairs but missed the fact South Canterbury — the fourth holder that year — had been beaten in their first and only defence, North Auckland becoming the fifth holders.
Payne gain
Otago did not just claim the Ranfurly Shield after their 38-36 win over Canterbury.
The Payne Trophy came home as well.
Presented by some rooster called George Pentecost Payne, the trophy was initially contested between the champion clubs of Otago and Canterbury.
Otago University were the inaugural champions in 1923, and Southern, Pirates, Taieri and Dunedin also got their names engraved on the trophy before it switched in 1960 to being at stake between the two provincial teams.
This is the 17th time Otago have won the trophy, but just the fifth since 2001.
Queenstown conundrum
The folks in the resort are mobilising again to push for a return to the international cricket calendar.
Queenstown has not hosted a men’s ODI since 2014, its only men’s T20 was in April 2023 and the White Ferns last played there two years ago.
My specific knowledge in this area is a little lean so I asked cricket writer Adrian Seconi if there were sound reasons to get the national teams back to ZQN. He replied:
"The venue is flanked by God’s foot soldiers and is the most magnificent location. They have spent a fortune on improving the drainage, which was a big commitment for the community. It is also near the airport, so you get fly-bys, which make you feel kind of royal. I always wave.
"It is also a proper cricket ground, surrounded by grass embankments and has decent boundaries.
"But there are some significant cons. Queenstown is expensive to travel to, and it is expensive to stay there. It rains a lot. And the traffic is murder. You try getting out of the carpark in peak hour."
Sevens heaven
Under a social media post about the aforementioned cricket issue, someone commented: "Bring back the sevens".
Made me kind of wistful.
The New Zealand provincial sevens tournament used to be a big deal, and Queenstown was a fabulous host some 20 years ago.
The tournament was moved up north and does not even exist any more.
Divine performance
My challenge for the week was getting some sort of Jesus Christ Superstar reference into this column.
Seriously, everyone at Taieri Musical must take a bow for the utterly brilliant staging of the great musical at the Regent Theatre.
The closest I can get is that master composer Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote the soundtrack to the BBC’s coverage of the 1978 World Cup, and combined with Ben Elton to do a show called The Beautiful Game, set against the background of the Troubles.
Oh, and there was also a neat JCS appearance in an episode of Ted Lasso.
