Southland coach Dave Hewett says provincial sides are always going to struggle against seasoned battle-hardened fully professional teams and people have to realise that.
The Ranfurly Shield has departed but its stay helped shine light on the game in the province even if it did not boost the bank balance of the Otago union.
Jamie Joseph's an ambitious man - always has been and always will be. And he's made his case to be the next All Black coach after Japan's glorious win over Ireland at the Rugby World Cup.
A comprehensive study of injuries in the 15-a-side game has shown most injuries are damage to soft tissue while concussions may be underreported because of a fear of missing games.