Much at stake in clash of the basement dwellers

Southland face their biggest trial in five years when they take on Bay of Plenty in Invercargill tomorrow, coach Leicester Rutledge says.

The game has assumed grim proportions as both teams, battered and bruised from a gruelling campaign, try to pick themselves up off the canvas for this pivotal clash.

"The team haven't had to deal with relegation for the past few years, but now we are in a must-win situation," Rutledge said.

The importance of this game to rugby in both provinces cannot be overstated.

Relegation can be the beginning of a slow death for a rugby union. For Southland it would mean loss of lucrative sponsorship and the inability to hold on to promising players.

An example is King Country, Colin Meads' once proud union who fought bravely to stay in the first division from 1992 to 1996. They are now likely to be playing with the minnows in division three next season.

Rutledge and his players are all too aware of this.

"This is our biggest game since we beat Northland [in the 1996 second division final]. The team have worked really hard in the past fortnight, especially this week. Seeing someone like [lock] Steve Jackson come back has been a really good boost for the side."

And it will be the experience of players such as Jackson, captain Brendon Timmins, prop Aaron Dempsey and fullback Pailate Fili which will be vital to a good Southland performance.

Though Southland go into the game as slight favourites, a home-town win is reliant on them maintaining their intensity until referee Kelvin Deaker's final whistle.

Lapses against the big teams have been severely punished.

The other key will be to hammer Bay of Plenty early and not allow them to build in confidence, particularly Chiefs first-five eighth Glen Jackson, the linchpin of the Bay team.

- NZPA