Frosty's near-melting moment

Jenni and Frosty James are delighted with Counties' form turnaround. Photo / Jason Dorday

Frosty James doesn't have a long bucket list but one of his entries is to see Counties Manukau lift the Ranfurly Shield before he dies.

Until three weeks ago, when Counties destroyed Otago 29-13 and then upset Wellington in the capital, he thought that might never happen.

"One of my life goals was to see Counties lift the Log o' Wood and I thought I would have to live until I was 200 to see that happen," James said.

Yesterday it got very close.

Counties Manukau were narrowly beaten 13-9 by Southland in Invercargill. It means they still haven't won the Ranfurly Shield in their 55-year history but they were in it right to the end, just failing to break through a staunch Southland defence to claim the vital match-winning try.

James and his wife Jenni were two of about 200 Counties fans who made the long trek south to Invercargill for yesterday's Shield game against Southland.

Most Counties fans wouldn't have thought they had a chance to lift the Shield at the start of the season, given they have propped up the bottom of the table in two of the past three years. But the wins over Otago and Wellington sprouted an optimism in the region healthier than the vegetables in the surrounding market gardens.

The presence of former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga has helped foster Yesterday the 37-year-old was in the thick of things and was held up 1m short of the Southland line as the clock ticked down.