It may have taken twenty-seven years, but Wellington finally has it's hands on the famous log of wood better known as the Ranfurly Shield.

The Lions went to Auckland as red hot favourites, and although it wasn't their greatest performance we've ever seen (the 27-0 victory certainly flattered the Lions), it was enough to take home the trophy.

It's a great reward for an outstanding season thus far, and they certainly are the team to beat as the quarter finals approach.

Wellington have won all eight games, and have picked up the four-try bonus in all eight games, too - a fantastic record.

The only team that may have a chance (albeit a very slim one) to beat the Lions is Canterbury, who have shrugged off their loss to Manawatu in Round 1 to win their last seven from seven.

The only other real variable is that if Auckland make the quarter-finals (which at this point is not a guarantee), they'll be bolstered by the return of their All Blacks (Mealamu, Kaino and Afoa), which could lift their game.

Waikato, too, will enjoy the return of their All Blacks, which will make the quarter-finals just that extra bit tougher.

One team that looks unlikely to make the next round is Otago. They've been completely out of form, and have been unable to win at home, which is unacceptable, really. It's a real let down to previous Otago sides, who helped build Carisbrook into the House of Pain - a place where no one could even hope to beat Otago. Now, it's almost guaranteed that they'll be beaten.

But for now, we can all enjoy the success of the Lions (as you can probably tell, one of us is a Wellington supporter - had to fight pretty hard to get this last sentence in, too...), as they look to hold onto the Ranfurly Shield for a long time.