Mate against mate in ITM Cup | Manawatu-Wanganui Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Manawatu-Wanganui

 

Counties rugby coach Milton Haig looks at the ITM Cup table after two rounds and shakes his head.

His side are ahead of the pack with the scalps of Otago and Wellington under their belts.

"If you asked me at the start whether we'd be on top after two rounds I would have said 'no way'," Haig said yesterday.

The one-time Wanganui coach is now plotting against his best mate ... Southland co-coach David Henderson.

The two go head-to-head on Saturday when Southland put the Ranfurly Shield on the line after a bruising defence against Otago last weekend.

"David and I are the best of mates. His family is a second family to me. And he said if he had to hand over the Shield, he'd want to hand it over to me," said Haig.

The question is, has Haig got the artillery to cut down Southland and take the Shield to Pukekohe for the first time?

On what was shown against Wellington last Sunday, he probably has.

Bustling, uncompromising forwards backed up by free-spirited backs.

Haig has been with Counties for three seasons and he has carefully nursed a bunch of greenhorns into a cohesive unit where self-belief is bursting at the seams.

Ahsee Tuala, the flying winger with four tries to his name already, the 22-year-old captain Jamie Chipman ... local boys "who bleed Counties
colours", says Haig.

 

Then there's the "old man" Tana Umaga, whose influence on the young players cannot be underestimated, says Haig.

Like Wanganui, Counties have never held the shield, though have come mighty close to it. Two draws and a couple of near misses.

Haig is adopting a "what will be, will be" approach to Saturday's game.

A shield reign would be nice, but the bigger picture is the ITM Cup and that means not dropping the ball after a flying start.

 

Third round games:

Friday: Canterbury v North Harbour, Christchurch.

Saturday: Bay of Plenty v Auckland, Tauranga.

Otago v Wellington, Carisbrook.

Sunday: Northland v Manawatu, Whangarei.

Waikato v Taranaki, Hamilton.