Otago pays for lack of discipline
THIS was always going to be a tough mountain to climb.
A rather green Otago team, with some fresh blood up front was taking on a stacked Auckland team, dripping with internationals and packing as much power as a Formula One team.
Otago finished a distant second to Auckland in the opening round game of the Mitre 10 Cup, going down 386 at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on Saturday night.
Auckland was just simply too big, strong and classy. It made journeyman hooker Leni Apisai look good such was its dominance in all facets and never looked like losing the game once it scored two tries just before halftime to lead 246 at the break.
Otago battled for everything it got and what it got was not much. It was on the back foot throughout and once it conceded points late in the first half it was facing a tough way back.
Otago coach Tom Donnelly said his side did not help itself.
‘‘They’re All Blacks for a reason but we just made too many mistakes. We just didn't play our game and gave them the ball back.’’
There were ‘‘just too many penalties and our discipline really let us down’’.
Donnelly said the side did not panic at halftime and was confident going into the second half.
‘‘There was a really good vibe at halftime and then we went out and they basically scored off the kickoff. Two quick tries and the game was gone by then.’’
He felt some of the new boys did well and he was pleased with the attitude and intent, but the accuracy was not there.
The game meandered in the second half and Otago kept Auckland scoreless in the final 30 minutes.
Donnelly felt the side was its own worst enemy at times.
‘‘We would go really well on defence, manage to get the ball and then give it straight back to them.’’
Last year it lost its first game of the Mitre 10 Cup by 50 points to Bay of Plenty, so it has history of getting out of the blocks slowly.
Otago started brightly enough and on the half hour mark was within a whisker of Auckland's tryline. It tried a couple of rolling mauls and then shifted it wide but lost the ball.
A few minutes later Auckland had the ball on attack, winger AJ Lam ran a good line and Auckland pulled out to a 176 lead. A second try to Apisai after a nice break from fullback Jordan Trainor made it comfortable at the break and it was never going to be run down.
Rieko Ioane scored 45 seconds into the second half and the match was as good as over.
Otago’s new lock Will Tucker was good in the lineout, Dylan Nel got round the paddock while Aleki MorrisLome and Josh Timu were solid in the midfield.