“Generations have missed out”: Tasman Mako inspired to bring Nelson its first Ranfurly Shield

The only predictable thing about Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus is that he's unpredictable – there’s no pattern.

If he was lying on the couch, I'm not sure if he'd be a psychologist’s dream or nightmare, but you would need a few appointments to work him out.

One thing you can't deny him, though, is the incredible depth he's got at his disposal.

A handful of changes have been made ahead of Sunday morning’s big Test (NZ time), and this week's combo looks stronger than last week's – there are certainly more recognisable names with Handre Pollard and Willie le Roux in the backs.

Erasmus seems to be playing this massive game of musical chairs where he can start and stop the music as he damn well pleases. 7-1, 6-2, 5-3 – those aren’t tennis scores, that’s the bench split between forwards and backs that Rassie has used in the last little while.

Just when we strategise on how to break down his bomb squad, he ‘weakens’ it, that's if you can call any bench featuring the world's best hooker in Malcolm Marx remotely weak.

Highveld or no Highveld, as is the case this weekend, this Test match really worries me.

Wallace Sititi and Cortez Ratima have been named to start for the All Blacks at No. 6 and No. 9 – it’s the biggest days out in their young rugby lives so far. Not quite career defining, but more parameter determining, where are they at? This will tell us.

It might be a big weekend for the engravers too: a new name on the Freedom Cup, adding to the Rugby Championship trophy, and maybe a new name on the Ranfurly Shield.

That’s right, a brand new one. Marlborough's win over Canterbury 51 years ago is one of the great upsets in New Zealand rugby history. Blenheim has seen it, they've held it, they've touched it – but not Nelson.

The shield itself is an absolute treasure and the Hawke’s Bay Magpies will defend it from 7.05pm this Saturday against the Tasman Mako.

Nelson possesses some of the oldest rugby clubs in the country - they've been waiting so long for this moment. Generations of Nelsonians have missed out.

Could the geographical centre of New Zealand finally be the home of the Ranfurly Shield come Saturday night?

Listen to Ian Smith's interview with Mako team manager Huw Beynon below: