Gareth Evans' form and leadership has been one of the Magpies season highlights, writes Mark Story. Photo / File
There'll be plenty tuned in to the Magpies clash with Otago tomorrow night.
I'll be one of them.
A win in the Championship semifinal against the southerners in Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium is pivotal.
And I don't just mean because it'll see us through to the final.
Because while that'd be ideal, it's also because most of us have yet to make our minds up as to whether this has been a successful season, or otherwise.
A finals appearance - win or lose - would seal that. Whereas a loss on Saturday would have many of us thinking otherwise.
Truth be told a semifinal appearance in the second tier was always expected from fans. And rightly so.
Any further than that and I think they've made it over the advantage line of expectation.
This is a brave and outrageously young team that's peppered the season with all sorts of form - polished, paltry and everything in between.
So up until tomorrow's clash they've made for mercurial watching for fans.
Let's remember too there's been obvious gaps left by the absences of Ihaia West and Richard Buckman. With those two in the 15 anything is, and often was, possible.
But such are the vagaries of rugby and the fruits of overseas contracts. Besides, their departures opened windows for others.
On the up, highlights have been the progressive homegrown honours of the young bolters, led by the frontman Gareth Evans, a player who seems to grow a few inches when he takes the field.
His gritty leadership has been cause for celebration; a world-class effort that makes him an easy pick for this fan's player of the season. Moreover, it underscored his consequent national call up.
The ideal final fixture next week would be an unlikely scenario. That is, if Northland beat Waikato and we triumph in Otago, then McLean Park will host the Championship final.
Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself.
Until shortly after 9pm tomorrow night, the Magpies jury is out.
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