Otago remain unbeaten with crucial win over Tasman
Unbeaten Otago have reinforced their credentials as genuine premiership material following a crucial 30-27 national provincial championship rugby win over Tasman at Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium on Saturday.
It was championship team Otago's fifth straight win of the season and their first over a premiership opponent after earlier wins against Southland, Wellington, Northland and Bay of Plenty.
And despite each team scoring three tries during an action-packed first half, Otago first five-eighth Fletcher Smith provided all the second half scoring with three penalty successes to turn a 27-21 halftime deficit into a well-deserved win.
Otago's Teihorangi Walden fends off Tasman prop Ross Geldenhuys during Otago's tight NPC win.
A frustrated Tasman side created opportunities during the second half, but couldn't unlock a desperate Otago defence as errors continued to disrupt their momentum.
Tasman flanker Shane Christie looks to pass in their fourth round NPC clash against Otago in Dunedin.
Otago head coach Cory Brown was naturally delighted about with his team's brave performance.
"It was a very gutsy effort I thought...it was excellent to guts it out and to have a win against a really good team - I don't think we've beaten Tasman for a while," Brown said.
He was delighted with his team's second half recovery after Tasman had applied the blow torch late in the first half.
"I felt that we looked a little bit tired and Tasman put us under a lot of pressure. The guys came back and stuck at it in the second half and showed a whole lot of guts and determination to keep getting up and knocking them back down...and playing in the right parts of the field helped."
He was loath to single out any individual, despite the fine efforts of his forwards.
"I can't single any of them out to be honest, I think from one to 23 they played with a lot of pride and passion for the Otago jersey."
It also left Tasman head coach Leon MacDonald rueing missed opportunities and poor execution.
"We didn't do the basics at all well," he said.
"We started off poorly, we carried high and they got underneath us and turned the ball over. We finally got that right and started to look good at the end of the half...still, I don;t know how many tries we left out there.
"A lot of it was just basic handling, draw and pass, that should be nailed at this level. [Otago] attacked well and held the ball and when they did they opened us up a little bit, so we have to look at our work rate on defence as well.
"Overall, we didn't deserve to win it and Otago did."
Tasman appeared to make the perfect start when second five-eighth David Havili dived in at the corner inside the opening minute, only for winger Alex Nankivell to have been ruled in touch earlier in the movement.
Instead it was Otago who blew the game open with two quick tries, the first to big No 8 and captain Paul Grant following a strong break by former Tasman winger Mitchell Scott and another to prop Craig Millar moments later as a stunned Tasman suddenly found themselves 14-0 down after just 12 minutes.
Then it was Tasman's turn to erupt, a Marty Banks penalty finally getting Tasman on the board before two tries to Nankivell and Havili within four minutes amazingly had Tasman back in the lead at 17-14 midway through the half.
It sparked a period of pressure by Tasman as they had Otago constantly scrambling in defence. A jersey grab by halfback Jonathan Ruru found Otago reduced to 14 men, Banks eventually adding a second penalty for 20 unanswered points.
But a man down, it was Otago who responded next when flanker Naulia Dawai scored from an attacking lineout drive. Tasman still weren't done, flanker Shane Christie scoring right on halftime to highlight an action-packed first half as Tasman took a 27-21 lead into the break.
After a frenetic first half, the scoring virtually dried up during the third quarter, with two Fletcher Smith penalties at least enabling Otago to level up at 27-27.
A third Smith penalty put Otago back in front 30-27 with 10 minutes remaining as mishandling and a desperate Otago defence continued to frustrate Tasman's chances of sustaining any momentum.
Otago 30 (Paul Grant, Craig Millar, Naulia Dawai tries, Fletcher Smith 3 pen, 3 con) Tasman 27 (Alex Nankivell, David Havili, Shane Christie tries, Marty Banks 2 pen, 3 con). HT: 21-27.
Tasman flanker Shane Christie looks to pass in their fourth round NPC clash against Otago in Dunedin.
Otago head coach Cory Brown was naturally delighted about with his team's brave performance.
"It was a very gutsy effort I thought...it was excellent to guts it out and to have a win against a really good team - I don't think we've beaten Tasman for a while," Brown said.
He was delighted with his team's second half recovery after Tasman had applied the blow torch late in the first half.
"I felt that we looked a little bit tired and Tasman put us under a lot of pressure. The guys came back and stuck at it in the second half and showed a whole lot of guts and determination to keep getting up and knocking them back down...and playing in the right parts of the field helped."
He was loath to single out any individual, despite the fine efforts of his forwards.
"I can't single any of them out to be honest, I think from one to 23 they played with a lot of pride and passion for the Otago jersey."
It also left Tasman head coach Leon MacDonald rueing missed opportunities and poor execution.
"We didn't do the basics at all well," he said.
"We started off poorly, we carried high and they got underneath us and turned the ball over. We finally got that right and started to look good at the end of the half...still, I don;t know how many tries we left out there.
"A lot of it was just basic handling, draw and pass, that should be nailed at this level. [Otago] attacked well and held the ball and when they did they opened us up a little bit, so we have to look at our work rate on defence as well.
"Overall, we didn't deserve to win it and Otago did."
Tasman appeared to make the perfect start when second five-eighth David Havili dived in at the corner inside the opening minute, only for winger Alex Nankivell to have been ruled in touch earlier in the movement.
Instead it was Otago who blew the game open with two quick tries, the first to big No 8 and captain Paul Grant following a strong break by former Tasman winger Mitchell Scott and another to prop Craig Millar moments later as a stunned Tasman suddenly found themselves 14-0 down after just 12 minutes.
Then it was Tasman's turn to erupt, a Marty Banks penalty finally getting Tasman on the board before two tries to Nankivell and Havili within four minutes amazingly had Tasman back in the lead at 17-14 midway through the half.
It sparked a period of pressure by Tasman as they had Otago constantly scrambling in defence. A jersey grab by halfback Jonathan Ruru found Otago reduced to 14 men, Banks eventually adding a second penalty for 20 unanswered points.
But a man down, it was Otago who responded next when flanker Naulia Dawai scored from an attacking lineout drive. Tasman still weren't done, flanker Shane Christie scoring right on halftime to highlight an action-packed first half as Tasman took a 27-21 lead into the break.
After a frenetic first half, the scoring virtually dried up during the third quarter, with two Fletcher Smith penalties at least enabling Otago to level up at 27-27.
A third Smith penalty put Otago back in front 30-27 with 10 minutes remaining as mishandling and a desperate Otago defence continued to frustrate Tasman's chances of sustaining any momentum.
Otago 30 (Paul Grant, Craig Millar, Naulia Dawai tries, Fletcher Smith 3 pen, 3 con) Tasman 27 (Alex Nankivell, David Havili, Shane Christie tries, Marty Banks 2 pen, 3 con). HT: 21-27.
