Table:
| Pos. |
Team |
P |
W |
B |
PTS |
| 1 |
Hawke's Bay |
5 |
5 |
5 |
25 |
| 2 |
Wellington |
4 |
4 |
4 |
20 |
| 3 |
Tasman |
4 |
4 |
3 |
19 |
| 4 |
BoP |
5 |
3 |
5 |
17 |
| 5 |
Waikato |
5 |
3 |
4 |
16 |
| 6 |
Taranaki |
4 |
3 |
3 |
15 |
| 7 |
Southland |
4 |
2 |
2 |
10 |
| 8 |
Otago |
4 |
2 |
2 |
10 |
| 9 |
Canterbury |
5 |
2 |
2 |
10 |
| 10 |
North Harbour |
4 |
1 |
5 |
9 |
| 11 |
Northland |
5 |
1 |
3 |
7 |
| 12 |
Counties-Manukau |
5 |
1 |
3 |
7 |
| 13 |
Auckland |
4 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
| 14 |
Manawatū |
4 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
Fixtures:
Friday 06/09:
BoP v Manawatū
Saturday 07/09:
Auckland v North Harbour
Wellington v Southland
Otago v Canterbury
Hawke's Bay v Tasman (Ranfurly Shield)
Sunday 08/09:
Taranaki v Waikato
Counties-Manukau v Northland
Wednesday 11/09:
Otago v Wellington
Notes:
The biggest game this round is the Ranfurly Shield match on Saturday night, Tasman have never one it as the combined union of Marlborough/Nelson Bays so they'll be up for it; and of course Hawke's Bay will be desperate to keep their winning record. Whoever wins gets both the log o' wood and top of the table.
Other than that, there's a couple of other usually fierce derbies. The Battle of the Bridge on Satuurday, then Otago v Canterbury. Most of the rest of the matches aren't especially exciting.
My Predictions:
BoP 24+
North Harbour 9-
Wellington 18+
Otago 3-
Hawke's Bay 3-
Taranaki 9+
Northland 9-
Wellington 6+