The glass half-empty brigade has been in full flight in Oamaru leading up to tonight's Ranfurly Shield challenge against Southland in Invercargill, but North Otago coach Barry Matthews is not waving a white flag.
They call it the sound of silence, and for 40 marvellous minutes last night, it was sweet music to North Otago's ears.
Even Stephen King could not pen something this ghastly, this painful and this darn sad.
Three hundred staunch Otago rugby fans took the train to the Ranfurly Shield game in Invercargill on Saturday.
David Latta says he cannot compare his two heartbreaking moments of trying to win the Ranfurly Shield.
Ever hopeful, ever realistic. That best sums up the mood of long-suffering Otago rugby supporters.
He may be an Australian but Otago coach Phil Mooney is completely aware of the Ranfurly Shield.
It should be a chilly but dry afternoon for Otago's Ranfurly Shield challenge against Southland at Rugby Park in Invercargill today.
Dunedin City Council staff are in danger of being shown a yellow card for overconfidence, after starting to organise a Ranfurly Shield victory parade days before today's clash between Otago and Southland.
Still trucking along at 36 and Kees Meeuws says he is feeling as good as ever.
Winger Ray Bell and halfback Bert Haig, two of the survivors, cannot remember anything of Otago's last Ranfurly Shield match against Southland 60 years ago.
Otago's Ranfurly Shield challenge against Southland is not sold out but officials are hoping they will eventually be able to put up the full house sign.
Ross Hay cradled one treasure in his arms but could not quite grasp the Ranfurly Shield last night.
Doug Grant knows all about playing in a Ranfurly Shield challenge.
The southern invasion is taking shape with a sold-out train set to journey to Invercargill on the day of Otago's Ranfurly Shield challenge.
Otago will get yet another chance to erase 53 years of hurt when it challenges Southland for the Ranfurly Shield on Saturday, August 7.
For the second year in a row, Otago will have the first crack at winning the Ranfurly Shield - not that holder Southland wanted it that way.
A crowd estimated at 3000 has given the Ranfurly Shield-winning Southland rugby team a heroes' welcome in Invercargill.
Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt spent 23 hours zig-zagging his way across the globe from inner-Mongolia, across China and Singapore, to make it home in time for this afternoon's Ranfurly Shield celebrations.
