Last weekend, the Highlanders went to Eden Park and lost.
Nothing strange about that.
They have been down that road plenty of times before.
In fact, since the competition started, the Highlanders have only won in Auckland twice.
Those two victories at Eden Park occurred once when the side wore a predominantly white jersey, in 2002, and once when it wore a green jersey, in 2012.
As an aside - does this mean the next win for the Highlanders at Eden Park will be in 2022?
But the fact that the side has won only twice in Auckland since 1998, when it first played there, shows the green jersey and its apparent bad luck is, at best, a flimsy argument and, at worst, just rubbish.
Ever since it was unveiled in 2011, there has been the accusation the green jersey has jinxed the side.
By running out in the green jersey, it is said to be behind the eight ball before a ball is even kicked.
That all stems from its debut match.
The lime slime, the green machine - whatever you call it - was unveiled in a key match against the Force at Carisbrook, late in the season in 2011.
The Highlanders were sitting on the cusp of the playoffs and a win against a no-name under-achieving Force side was going to make the path to the playoffs so much easier.
But the Highlanders proceeded to play a stinker and the men from Perth won comfortably in the end.
It was a poor night all round, with a wind coming straight off the South Pole and the hardy mob that were there ended up booing the home side and its new look.
But it set a trend for many that has never gone away.
Now every game that the Highlanders lose in the green jersey, the jersey and the colour cops the blame.
In the 13 games since that 2011 debut that the Highlanders have worn the green jersey, they have lost 10 times.
Not a great record, one must admit.
A success rate of 23%, which is down from the 41% win rate the side has had since the start of the 2011 season.
But winning away from home is never easy. And the green jersey is only worn away from Forsyth Barr Stadium.
Take the previous three years before the big green was introduced. From 2008-10, the Highlanders won just four away games in 20 matches.
Even the period between 1998 and 2002, when the Highlanders were seen as being seriously good, the success rate away from home was just 35%, or 11 wins from 31 matches.
So blaming the green is just a cheap excuse.
Winning away games is damned difficult. No team does it easily.
Being victorious in foreign lands has more to do with showing composure and not getting upset with some home-town calls and the one-eyed crowd. It is basically about getting out and outplaying the opposition.
It has little to do with a jersey, designed by a German-based company and made in Asia.
