Waikato returning to the top division

Jono Gibbes signed off in style as Waikato coach as the Mooloos pummelled Otago to bounce straight back to the Mitre 10 Cup Premiership.

Waikato won last night’s Championship final 36-13 in Hamilton, returning to the competition’s top division at the first attempt after last year’s relegation.

For Gibbes, who next heads to France to become La Rochelle’s director of rugby, his one season in charge at FMG Stadium Waikato finished in perfect fashion as the Mooloos claimed their first provincial title since winning the Premiership in 2006.

Otago may have played their best game of the season two weeks ago when snatching the Ranfurly Shield from Waikato, keeping it safe in the deep south for summer, and it seemed to show following their exhausting last-gasp semifinal win against Hawke’s Bay last Saturday.

Waikato take Taranaki’s place in the Premiership next year.

It’s a disappointing end to another Championship season for Otago, who finished second on the ladder, but winning the Shield will be some consolation.

Everything good about Waikato’s season was on display. Their forwards were excellent but exciting backs Quinn Tupaea and Sevu Reece, who finishes the campaign with 14 tries from 11 matches, were especially eyecatching again.

It’s been a breakthrough year for Reece – his third at this level –

(Sevu Reece 2, Quinn Tupaea, Matty Lansdown, Tyler Campbell tries; Fletcher Smith 4 con, pen) Otago 13 (James Lentjes try; Josh Ioane con, 2 pen). HT: 19-6.

and Tupaea, in his first season out of Hamilton Boys’ High School, has been outstanding.

Waikato were ferociously on the front foot early doors, while Otago adopted a far more conservative approach.

But Otago were a little ponderous, feeling the full force of Reece’s thunderous first-half tackle on skipper Michael Collins as Waikato came at them.

The Mooloos were hammering Otago across the park, controlling possession and territory, to lead 19-6 at halftime before pulling clear in the second half.

Waikato lost talismanic lock James Tucker to a nasty-looking knee injury in the opening minutes, but that blow wouldn’t impact their positive start.

Tupaea’s break led to Reece scoring his 13th try of the campaign before Josh Ioane converted Otago’s first two penalties.

Then Tupaea ran through for Waikato’s second try and he further demonstrated his talent with a fabulously improvised offload for Lansdown to score.

Otago hit back after the break as James Lentjes went over but Waikato’s Tyler Campbell scored from the next restart and Reece then grabbed his second.

Fletcher Smith rubbed salt into his former side’s wounds with a penalty to stretch Waikato’s lead.

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