Second chance to attend a finals day

• Published date: 13 August 2021
• Publication title: Sports Tab

Haven’t we already had finals day at the Greenhouse? Didn’t we get 6500 people along screaming for the Eels or the Spannerheads? Wasn’t that the biggest crowd we will see for rugby outside a test or Highlanders game?

Well, it’s a yes to most of those, but wait, there’s more. Yes there is another finals day at the Greenhouse and it’s on tomorrow. We kick off at 10.30am (that’s early!) with a match between the Carisbrook Bush Pigs and the Lincoln Short-Finned Eels to decide who is the best under-85kg team in the South Island.

The second final (12.30pm) is the championship colts decider. Two teams from Kaik and two teams from Dunedin made the semis, and the two Kaik teams emerged victorious. So the unbeaten Undertakers will take on the Cobras.

Then on to the first of the big dances. The ODT Cup final for the best first XV in Highlanders territory at 2.10 pm features two teams which have been going at it for well over 100 years in Otago Boys’ and Southland Boys’. It promises to be a powerful and gripping contest with drama from start to finish.

If that’s not enough to whet the appetite, we then have the premier colts final kicking off at 3.50pm between Kaik and Dunedin or, in local terms, the Devils and the Mako. This promises to be a no-holds-barred encounter. Kaik has been the best team in the comp and has only lost once this year and the Mako have been the defending champs for the past two years — mouth-watering to say the least.

Live-streaming

We encourage you get along to the stadium at some stage tomorrow to see the talent that is starting to emerge out of the Highlanders region — the best will definitely be on show. It’s only a gold-coin donation to get in, parking is free and the bars will be open in the North Stand. All the viewing will be in the North Stand and there is no better spot in New Zealand to watch live games. If you have an excuse, the ODT website will live-stream all the games (odt.co.nz). Spare a thought for the commentator, yours truly, who is going to call at least three of these classic encounters. That’s six hours, so I apologise in advance!

Ainge Shield and players of the year

The Ainge Shield has been decided even before finals weekend. As predicted, Kaik — or as I have been referring to them this year, the MAQs, the Mountain Aqua Golds — claimed it. Kaik made the top four in prems, was runner-up in prem 2s, made the four in seniors, will finish first or second in prem colts and will also finish 1-2 in junior colts. That is an...