Stags in position to really kick on

OPINION: I'll put my hand up and admit I got it badly wrong picking Hawke's Bay over Southland last week, writes Nathan Burdon in this week's Straight Up.

Given the way my picks have been going so far this year, you could argue I was doing the Stags a favour.

I also picked Southland to finish fourth in the NPC last year before the season started but I don't remember getting too many pats on the back for that one.

Forgive me, then, if I don't give a toss if people get upset about me taking the opposition in the weekly tipping comp.

Truth is, I've watched a lot of Southland rugby in a lot of different stadiums over the past decade or so.

There have been more losses than wins in that time, so perhaps I'm guilty of judging the 2009 edition on past vintages.

This team has aged nicely, with enough experience spread through the team to provide a platform for the youngsters like John Hardie, Scott Cowan and Robbie Robinson to shine.

Jason Kawau, for one, is having a standout season.

There have been a handful of really good rugby players who have come out of Northern Southland in the past two decades, and Kawau is one of them.

One of the exciting things for Stags fans to look forward to is the fact the combination between Kawau and Kendrick Lynn is still developing.

We might not see the best of it until next year, but I'm sure it will be worth the wait.

At 3-1 after a month of the NPC, the Stags are in a position to really kick on.

Friday night's win over Hawke's Bay was a testament to some gritty defence by Southland.

The Magpies have struggled since smashing Auckland first up, but it takes a good team to fully expose a weakness and that's what Southland did by cutting down the black-and-white ball runners before they could get a roll on.

Part of me is still a little disappointed that the Stags let their guard down against Manawatu, but perhaps we'll look back on that game as the turning point for the maroons.

Even staying in Queenstown to cover the Winter Games, I was reminded of the win over Hawke's Bay by someone who had taken the time to mark out a massive "Go Stags" in the snow at the Remarkables next to the slopestyle course.

Heaven only knows what the Americans, French and Canadians etc made of that.Like Hawke's Bay, North Harbour have struggled since a celebated win over Canterbury in the first round.

Southland have not had much success on the North Shore in recent memory, but Thursday night's game represents a golden chance to keep the momentum going. But, as the Manawatu loss showed, this Southland team can't afford to show up to work anything less than fully cocked.

As we've seen in the past couple of weeks, only a knife edge seperates the rooster from the feather duster.

» Nathan Burdon has been the Southland Times sports editor since 2003 and has won numerous journalism awards, including provincial sports writer of the year.

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