Believe it or not, Otago may get a third crack at the Ranfurly Shield this season.
Otago was beaten 23-19 by Wellington in the first challenge of the season, on July 31, and was beaten 36-16 by Canterbury in a second challenge on Saturday.
But if a few results go its way, Otago may get a chance for a third tilt at the most prized dom-estic trophy in New Zealand rugby.
Taranaki challenges for the Shield on Friday night in Christchurch and will go into the game with much confidence after beating Wellington for the first time in 20 years last Thursday.
If Taranaki beats Canterbury, it will face Waikato in its first defence on September 25.
If it beats Waikato, Taranaki will then play Otago on October 3 at Yarrow Stadium.
If Taranaki takes the Log o' Wood, it will be the first time it has held the trophy since 1996, when it won the Shield from Auckland and defended it once before losing it to Waikato.
Only one other team, North Harbour, has had three challenges in a year.
It lost to Taranaki in 1996, then lost again to Waikato before losing for a third time at the end of the season to Auckland, which had won the shield from Waikato.
Though Taranaki will be the underdog against Canterbury, this season has produced plenty of upsets, and a win for Taranaki is an outside possibility.
And for those looking for third time lucky, Otago, in its last trip to New Plymouth in 2007, defeated the home side 18-15, its first win in New Plymouth for 20 years.
