Mitre 10 finals weekends have provided more than their fair share of highlights over the years and next weekend's finale to the 2018 season promises to be no different.
The old rivals, Auckland and Canterbury, will go at it on Saturday evening at Eden Park.
Canterbury have been the dominant side in the competition having won nine of the last 10 years of national provincial titles, the only exception being when Taranaki beat Tasman in the 2014 final.
The last time Auckland were in the final was in 2015, a repeat of the 2012 final while the last time Auckland won the title, and hosted the final, was in 2007 when they beat Wellington.
Auckland beat Canterbury, in Christchurch, in round robin play earlier in the year and have enjoyed their best domestic season for some time.
Canterbury, having suffered losses to Auckland and Tasman have not been the dominant force of earlier years but showed in beating Tasman 21-16 in their Friday semifinal that they were on task to make a vigorous defence of their title.
Auckland qualified by ending Wellington's run since returning to the Premiership this year with a 38-17 win in Auckland.
In the Championship final, Waikato will host Otago in a repeat of their Ranfurly Shield game of 10 days ago. Otago won on that occasion but only secured their place in the final after the final hooter had surrounded when first five-eighths Josh Ioane landed a penalty goal to deny a Hawke's Bay team that had dominated for much of the game.
Waikato qualified in easier fashion with a 48-26 win over Northland in their semifinal.
The Mitre 10 Heartland competition will also be decided when South Canterbury host Thames Valley in Timaru in the Meads Cup final while the Lochore Cup will be played in Levin where Horowhenua Kapiti will host Wairarapa Bush.
South Canterbury beat King Country 58-21 in their semifinal while Thames Valley upset Wanganui 17-7.
And Wairarapa Bush reversed the previous week's result when beating North Otago 30-21 while Horowhenua Kapiti beat Mid Canterbury 34-24.
FINAL MATCH-UPS
Mitre 10 Cup Premiership Final
Auckland v Canterbury
Saturday 27 October
Eden Park, Auckland - kick off 4.05pm (Free Entry)
Mitre 10 Cup Championship Final
Waikato v Otago
Friday 26 October
FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton - kick off 7.35pm
Mitre 10 Heartland Championship – Meads Cup Final
South Canterbury v Thames Valley
Saturday 27 October
Alpine Energy Stadium, Timaru - kick off 1.05pm
Mitre 10 Heartland Championship – Lochore Cup Final
Horowhenua Kapiti v Wairarapa Bush
Sunday 28 October
Levin Domain, Levin - kick off 2.35pm
So that is my 240th blog of the year 2018 (MMXVIII) & my 60th of this year.
P.S. And what do I think from my point of view about Wanganui's disappointing upset loss against Thames Valley in the Meads Cup semifinal? No, we, you know what we mean, hey wait, we just, that's, wait that the Swamp Foxes are what we thought they were. What would we thought they were. We played them last year, who on earth takes last year's game like it's garbage? Garbage! We played them in last year's game, everybody played both halves, the Swamp Foxes are who we thought they were! That’s why we took the whole field! Now, if you want to crown them, then crown their hands! But they are who we thought they were, & we let them off the hook!...This is what's great about sports, this is what the greatest thing about sports is: You play to win the game. Hello? You play to win the game. You don't play it just to play it. That's the great thing about sports: You play to win. And I don't care if you don't have any wins. You go play to win. When you start telling me it doesn't matter, then retire. Get out! Cause it matters.
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