IT REALLY is "that" time of the year again where rugby will again be thrust into the limelight and potential All Blacks' names bandied about. Rugby is great, love it, but dear God give me strength - it's too soon. We've hardly got out of summer, if at all, andnow we'll be hearing about who's hot and who's not - or who has had too many pies in the off-season.
Maybe a lack of excitement for the Super Rugby season comes from seeing our national cricket side actually pull finger, we want to see more.
Or maybe it is to do with our lack of Northlanders pulling on their Super Rugby side's jersey this weekend.
The Blues pulled in Hayden Triggs rather than promoting our boy Tom Murday, albeit an adopted Northlander for now, which has shunned a little of my interest in them to date. Hooker Robbie Abel hasn't been named on the bench for the Western Force, as it is yet to be finalised, and nor has former Taniwha Jack Whetton after his shift to the Brumbies in the off-season.
Future Taniwha Winston Stanley hasn't made the final 22 for the Highlanders, with Auckland ITM Cup player Malakai Fekitoa preferred. While Fekitoa is the closest mirror to Northland star Rene Ranger we have in New Zealand, it would have struck up a bit more excitement in me to watch the Highlanders and Blues match tonight.
After being eased into the Super Rugby season - after the South African sides kicked it off - last weekend, the biggest attraction for this weekend is seeing how the Hurricanes go on tour. Coupled with that is my curiosity over how the Chiefs and Crusaders will go.
Even though I'm not a fan judging a team's season based on their first game, I'm still curious to see how players shape up and see what their attitudes are like when the going gets tough.
Let's just hope that when the going does get tough, and we have the chance of a Northlander on the field, that our boys fly the flag high and proud.
