Banks, who now grows peonies in Earnscleugh, just out of Alexandra, locked the scrum for Canterbury in 1966, when the red and blacks drew 11-11 with Auckland at Eden Park.
He then played for Otago a year later against Hawkes Bay, when the southern side narrowly lost 9-8.
Banks also played for Otago when the side went down 16-12 to Canterbury in 1970.
He remembers little about the first challenge at Eden Park. He turned out for Canterbury as he was at Lincoln College at the time.
But the next year he was in Dunedin, as Otago went north and all but took the shield, going down in a nail-biter to Hawkes Bay.
"I remember Eric Watson in the sheds afterwards saying he had no chance of getting a knighthood now," Banks said.
"It was the best game of rugby I ever played in. We had a tremendous battle with Hawkes Bay. At one stage Kel Tremain came running straight at Selwyn Inglis. Selwyn was a slightly built guy and he just launched himself at him [Tremain]. He stopped him like a sack of spuds."
Banks said Otago inside backs Chris Laidlaw and Earle Kirton probably kicked too much during the match, a fact they acknowledged after the game.
The challenge against Canterbury was another one that got away.
Otago was leading but Canterbury came storming back.
Not that Banks has much of a memory of that match, having to leave the field after he got a cut to his head.
"I was under the stand for much of the second half trying to get my head fixed."
Banks said Canterbury, with the likes of Alex Wyllie and Fergie McCormick, had plenty of experience and could close the game out.
He said in the three challenges he played in, the atmosphere after the game was always disappointing, but especially so against Hawkes Bay, where Otago had gone very close, but just fallen short.
Banks (64), who played for the Zingari-Richmond club in Dunedin before shifting to Alexandra, said Otago had to attack Wellington on Friday night.
"They're a young team and you've always got a chance."
