North Harbour assistant coach Jeff Wilson says it is much too early to look at the competition ladder, although he admits both Otago and his side have yet to get their seasons under way.
The teams clash at North Harbour stadium tomorrow night in a clash shaping up as vital for both provinces.
Although Wilson is not looking at it, the competition ladder for the ITM Cup does not make good reading for either side.
Otago has yet to have a win and sits at the bottom of the 14-team competition while North Harbour is 11th, having scored one victory, a last-gasp win against Northland.
Wilson, who starred for the All Blacks and Otago in the 1990s, said in some ways North Harbour and Otago are in similar positions, and he was not referring to the competition ladder.
"I know people are frustrated with what has been going on down there. But they will bounce back. This is professional rugby where it does take time to build a team," he said.
"I know with me and Craig [head coach Craig Dowd] it took us to about halfway through last season to really get to know the players and the guys down there are doing that, too. But there is a lot of talent down there, some exciting young guys coming through, like we have here.
"North Harbour are not in the position to go out and buy a team. And neither are Otago for that matter. So you've got to work with what you've got. You've got to be patient, work behind the scenes at getting all those little things right and watch players develop."
Wilson said Otago had some key guys who would have to be watched by his side.
"Otago and us are the same in that we both haven't really got our seasons started. So that is what makes this game so vital."
North Harbour had lost to Canterbury heavily last week, 44-22, and Wilson said looking on the bright side the team had got both Canterbury and Auckland out of the road and would now push on to better things.
"We have played some good rugby but have not been accurate enough. We made too many errors against Canterbury and paid for it while against Auckland they had a Super 14 pack which just wore us down."
Wilson was a star for Otago, and played 64 games for the province, along with 60 tests for the All Blacks.
But he said his job was now to coach North Harbour and he would be concentrating on that task tomorrow night.
