KEY POINTS:
North Harbour 99
Horowhenua-Kapiti 6
His side might have come up 93 points short of wresting the Ranfurly Shield from North Harbour but that didn't stop Horowhenua-Kapiti coach Peter Kemp from suggesting the challengers take the hallowed Log O' Wood home with them anyway.
Following his side's gutsy but
ultimately hopeless 17-tries-to-nil drubbing, Kemp lobbed a couple of verbal hand grenades at the NZRU over the structure of the national game.
"The Shield should be in our division, because that's where it originated - heartland rugby," he said.
"It would be a great crowd draw down in our division, it would be massive. It could bring back the crowd base that we've probably lost over the years. I think the premier [division] have got enough to play for without having the Shield.
"We'll see how that one goes down with the New Zealand Rugby Union then."
Indicating that they knew full well what lay ahead, Horowhenua's healthy band of supporters enthusiastically applauded the opening stoppage of play - an attacking scrum to Harbour on the 22. The ease with which Harbour wing Viliame Waqaseduadua scored from the scrum showed the travelling supporters' pessimism wasn't misplaced.
The yawning gap between the sides was starkly underlined by returning Junior All Blacks centre Anthony Tuitavake, who resembled a grown man playing in an under-14 boys grade as he broke tackles at will to set up the next couple of Harbour tries.
"That gap is going to get bigger and bigger, most definitely," Kemp said.
"It's a worry to Heartland unions. We are seen now as growers of rugby players but we don't get any reciprocation [when they move on]. It is a real worry the way rugby is going now. The gap has been purposely created - we are being kept very much as amateurs.
"Even if we develop a very good team in this competition there is no incentive to try and get up.
"That's a bit sad because we are in a bit of a growth area of rugby down our way, as opposed to most areas of New Zealand. The Kapiti Coast-Horowhenua area is really booming and with that comes rugby players and money."
All gripes aside, Kemp and his players at least enjoyed their big day out.
"We wouldn't have missed this occasion for everything on earth."
Harbour may have improved markedly on their patchy showing against Thames Valley a fortnight earlier but it wasn't all hugs and high fives.
Halfback Luke Hamilton limped off with what looked like a serious ankle injury after just nine minutes, while the side's lack of a top notch goalkicker was also exposed as four players combined to convert just seven of the 17 tries.
Harbour, who travel to Canterbury for their final pre-season hitout on Saturday, are expected to name their Air New Zealand Cup squad today.
