Otago won the log o' wood over the Mooloos last season so there will be a taste of revenge in the mouth of Waikato supporters.
The Waikato side has produced a mixed bag so far this season.
It made a promising start, winning its first game in an upset over Canterbury, but has fallen off the pace, losing its past three games.
But Waikato has a proud record of winning and playing well in Ranfurly Shield challenges.
Since the national provincial competition started in 1976, Waikato has won the shield eight times in challenges while Otago has won it just twice.
In that time, Waikato has had 13 unsuccessful challenges while Otago has had 20 challenges in which it has come up short.
Waikato ended the long reign of the dominant Auckland shield side in 1993 and most recently won the trophy last year when it beat Taranaki in something of an upset. It then lost the shield to Otago in the last game of the regular season.
If Waikato has any chance of making the playoffs, it will have to improve its set piece and also cut out some silly errors. The side can ill afford another loss and needs to win against Otago.
It lost to Tasman 35-26 in Hamilton last Saturday.
The team has been well led by former Otago back Fletcher Smith. Smith has been near the top of the Duane Monkley medal table.
Points are handed out after every game by the broadcast commentators and the top-ranked player at the end of the season picks up the Duane Monkley medal.
Smith moved to Waikato last year and had a top year last season, scoring 130 points for Waikato.
Being a Premiership team should give Waikato some confidence going into the game on Sunday.
But apart from Tasman, which is well out in front in the Premiership, the other 13 teams in the Mitre 10 Cup appear to be relatively even.
Of the 17 crossover games played so far, nine of the games have been won by Premiership teams, seven by Championship teams and there was a draw between Wellington and Hawke's Bay.
Last week, the three games between teams from the two divisions were won by teams from the lower championship.
Taranaki winger Sean Wainui has been cleared of a dangerous tackle in the side's unsuccessful Ranfurly Shield challenge against Otago.
Wainui hit Otago flanker Slade McDowall high in a tackle in the match earlier this month.
A hearing had ruled the tackle was dangerous and banned him for four weeks.
But Wainui appealed and the appeal council ruled the actions of Wainui did not constitute a dangerous tackle or warrant any more than a citing commissioner warning.
Wainui has missed Taranaki's past two matches but is now available for the rest of the season.