Playoffs now loom
BOTTLE that, put it in the fridge and feast on it for what — 10 years?
Otago scored its first win against Canterbury in 15 years with a 2316 victory over the redandblacks in Christchurch last night.
Wins over the enemy from the north are few and far between, so every one of them has to be treasured.
Otago scored three tries to one and thoroughly deserved the win, showing some real Xfactor on attack and putting up an intense and strong defence which strangled the life out of a spluttering Canterbury side.
The visiting side led just 63 at the break, but the game opened up in the second half.
No 8 Nasi Manu rolled back the years, popping up all over the park. He was strong with the ball in hand, a demon in the breakdown and emptied the tank in his hour on the park.
Not far behind in the forward pack was prop Josh Hohneck and lock Josh Dickson.
Out the back, Kayne Hammington had his best game of the season at halfback, while outside back Vilimoni Koroi exploded in the second half.
Otago scored the first try of the game early in the second half when debutant flanker Sam Fischli ripped the ball free.
The ball was moved to winger Jona Nareki who fed midfield back Sio Tomkinson who went over.
Canterbury came back with a try to halfback Mitch Drummond, but Manu and Koroi combined down the sideline to score.
Koroi skirted down the line in what was a extremely narrow passage, but stayed in the field of play to score.
The game got back to 16all with just over 10 minutes left as Canterbury found some points.
But Otago went back on attack, and after moving the ball to the right, came back left; Koroi sucked in two defenders to allow flanker Slade McDowall to score.
Canterbury looked to equalise, but a combination of staunch Otago defence and poor Canterbury attack gave the blueandgolds the win.
The only disappointing result from the game was hooker and captain Liam Coltman picking up a serious leg injury in the second half, forcing him from the field.
Otago had all the possession and territory in the opening quarter of the game but had nothing to show for it.
The home side was stuck under its own posts for long periods but Otago could not make the most of the advantage.
It would put a couple of nice phases together and then make a mistake, and showed a lack of killer instinct when the opportunity came knocking.
A pass would go wide too quickly, or a lineout was not quite accurate enough.
Josh Ioane had two penalties
OTAGO has steamed into the playoffs and it appears it is now or never for the side.
The side grabbed its first win over Canterbury in 15 years last night, and with it they are clear leaders in the championship of the Mitre 10 Cup.
The team has won four games in a row and pushed four points clear of Hawke’s Bay, which plays Bay of Plenty tomorrow.
There are two games left for Otago in the regular season, against Southland in Invercargill next Friday and Tasman at Forsyth Barr Stadium on November 14.
The side is more than 10 points clear of the thirdplaced team, Northland, and now would want to finish top of the ladder.
Home advantage becomes key in the playoffs, and if Otago can win one of its next two games it should be in the box seat.
Hawke’s Bay plays Wellington next week in Napier and then finishes its regular season in Taranaki.
Otago is one of only two sides in the Championship which has never made it out of the division and played in the Premiership, since the competition went to two divisions in 2011.
One wonders: if it cannot get promoted this season, when can it?
The side is playing well, with some steel up front and experience in the field of props Josh Hohneck and Jamie Mackintosh and lock Josh Dickson continues to make progress.
Backed up by a good group of loose forwards, the side can also get the ball.
Out back it has experience and the Xfactor which is needed to win games at this level.
As the business end of the season approaches, this side has probably the best chance of any Otago team in the last 10 seasons to finally get over the hump.
for Otago in the first half while Fergus Burke replied for Canterbury with just the one penalty.