At last!

[Old lock]

From the ODT

Joy as Otago breaks losing streak
Sun, 5 Sep 2010
Rugby | Otago Rugby
Click photo to enlarge
 
There was nothing pretty about it but that didn't matter to hardy rugby fans at Carisbrook today as Otago lodged their first win of the national provincial championship.

Otago prevailed 17-16 over Hawke's Bay, another team who have started the season in dreary fashion, hanging tough in the second half into a strong wind which threatened to carry the visitors to victory.

In a game that struggled for highlights, a strong wind whipping through Carisbrook made running rugby difficult and it appeared an Otago team missing star loose forward Adam Thomson hadn't made the most of it when leading just 10-3 at halftime.

However, a try to veteran prop Kees Meeuws soon after halftime pushed them 14 points clear, a pick-and-go effort reminiscent of his trademark tryscoring ways with the All Blacks last decade.

Otago, whose halftime lead came courtesy of a try to captain Alando Soakai, spent much of the game's remainder on defence.

They conceded two penalty goals but their tryline was crossed just once, when Hawke's Bay hooker Hika Elliot shrugged off a weak tackle from lock Hoani Matenga 18min from time.

The visiting forwards rumbled a maul over the tryline but replays proved inconclusive while first five-eighth Daniel Kirkpatrick missed a kickable penalty in the 68th minute which appeared to suck some fight from Hawke's Bay.

Otago, led superbly by Meeuws and fellow-prop Halana Aulika at both scrum time and around the park, found a second wind and wound down the clock with tight driving play.

They are still rooted to the bottom of the standings, two points behind Manawatu and three behind Hawke's Bay, who appear unlikely to continue their run of semifinal appearances in recent seasons.

[Old lock]

From: Allblacks.com

Otago gets home for first win
Sportal.co.nz - (5/09/2010) -  3 Comments

Otago overcame the elements and its own self-doubts to gain its first win of the ITM Cup when it beat Hawke's Bay 17-16 in a cliff-hanger at Carisbrook on Sunday.
 
Otago, which led 17-3 just after halftime, held on to win by one point after a committed performance by its forwards.

Alando Soakai led a fired-up forward pack in which Kees Meeuws, Halani Aulika, Brad Cameron and Charlie O’Connell all had strong games.

Glenn Dickson and Ben Smith were pivotal figures in the backline and, while this was a no-frills, performance, it was a deserved win against a Hawke's Bay side which failed to deliver.

The game was the dance of the desperates. Otago had lost all five previous games while Hawke's Bay had had only one win, against Manawatu last week.

Otago suffered a blow before kick-off when All Black discard Adam Thomson withdrew because of a neck problem and was replaced by Charlie O'Connell, who was making his run-on debut.

Otago played with the advantage of a strong wind when the match began under overcast skies before a small crowd but it was Hawkes Bay which scored first, Daniel Kirkpatrick kicking a penalty after three minutes when Halani Aulika infringed at a scrum.

Hawke's Bay seemed certain to score its first try after 13 minutes but the last pass struck centre Richard Buckman on the head.

That distinction came to Otago after 20 minutes when, from a five-metre scrum, Ryan Shortland came in from the blindside wing to confuse the defence and captain and flanker Alando Soakai scored under the posts.

Otago continued to dominate territory and, when Clint Newland was penalised at a scrum, Glenn Dickson goaled from 40 metres to extend the lead to 10-3.

Otago midfielder Andrew Parata left the field after 35 minutes after taking a heavy blow to the cheek. He was replaced by Chris Small, who played at fullback, with Ben Smith moving to centre in a reshuffled backline.

Otago had spent most of the half in Hawke's Bay territory and it would have been disappointed not to have more than a seven-point lead. It was dominant everywhere, including the breakdowns, which it won 56-29, but the Hawkes Bay defence was staunch.

Different tactics were required in the second spell, Otago needing to keep the ball in hand as it battled into the wind.

And it made the perfect start, prop Kees Meeuws smashing over for a try after three minutes after good lead-up work by Shortland and several forwards. Dickson converted and Otago was out to a 17-3 lead.

But Hawke's Bay doubled its score four minutes later when fullback Mark Jackman kicked a huge penalty from 56 metres to make it 17-6 and, when Kirkpatrick added his second to make it 17-9, it was game on.

It became a one-point game 18 minutes from the end when, after constant pressure, hooker Hika Elliot picked the ball up from the back of a ruck and brushed off a flimsy tackle from Hoani Matenga as he raced 22 metres to the posts. Kirkpatrick's conversion made it 17-16.

Kirkpatrick had a chance to give Hawkes Bay the lead 12 minutes from the end but he was unable to judge the increasingly gusty wind.

Otago tried to keep the ball in hand in the final minutes as it battled the elements and tried not to concede a penalty.

Scores were:

Otago 17 (Alando Soakai, Kees Meeuws tries; Glenn Dickson 2 con, pen) Hawke's Bay 16 (Hika Elliot try, Daniel Kirkpatrick con, 2 pen; Mark Jackman pen). HT: 10-3

[Mary]

Yah at last!! ;-)

[Reformed]

 

Agreed... a long time coming.

Hopefully this is where Otago turns a corner and start the revival.

[ROAMER]

yeah.. but geeez, we nearly lost that one!!

[Reformed]

I tipped them to win last week and for once they did the right thing and listened to me... I'm tipping them again this week... lets hope they are in a mood for listening

[Strathen]

Bittersweet victory as we won, but are still bottom of the table. I haven't caught the game yet as I was in Christchurch helping out when it was played and haven't seen a replay advertised. Hopefully I can find it somewhere, especially if it turns out to be the only victory for the season...

Here's hoping Reffie hits a vein of form for his picking though! 

[Reformed]

Here's hoping Reffie hits a vein of form for his picking though!

Dammit man... you have just jinxed Otago for a very very long time... coupling them to my tipping prowess is just short of a death sentence mate... 

You know I am useless at tipping...

[Strathen]

Here's hoping Reffie hits a vein of form for his picking though!

Dammit man... you have just jinxed Otago for a very very long time... coupling them to my tipping prowess is just short of a death sentence mate... 

You know I am useless at tipping...

These are not normal times Reffie. Unusual times call for methods you wouldn't normally consider.

Thus, I call upon the power of your absent tipping abilities, combined with the absent might of Otago rugby, thus 2 negatives will become a positive and Otago will be victorious in Nelson this weekend.

[ROAMER]

that's what i'm talking about

[Reformed]

Mindblowing theory... 

[Strathen]

Not a theory Reffie, it's science.

[Penny]

Hey Strathie, if it isn't too much to ask, did you fly down to help out in Christchurch?  what were you helping with.  Sorry if I am being too nosey. 

[Strathen]

No problems Pennz. I was in Dunedin for the weekend for the old man's birthday with the whole family. We felt the quake down there, some stuff fell of the shelves, etc, no big deal. I travelled to Christchurch on the Sunday with my sister to check her house, clean up, and help some of the locals. Came back to Auckland on Monday. It was pretty surreal. Aftershocks, power surges, no water. We bought about 30L with us from Dunno's. It's amazing how much you rely on running water.

The effect of the aftershocks is the hardest thing to describe. It wrecks your nerves as one hits, the house is moving and you're wondering if you need to stop, drop, and hold. Is it the next big one? Is the house/building going to hold after everything it's already been through? What about the power surges as the building moves, is that a sign? Will the pipes burst this time? What if I'm asleep and need to move quickly? ... You're constantly on edge. We had a 3.8 centred 200m from our house. That was freaky and was not even a big one.

Glad I could do something, even if it was minimal. My sister has had a builder in already and structurally her house is all good, she is extremely lucky. Some of the seals in the plumbing need replaced, but not urgent.

Some people are hit hard. The journey they're about to undertake, well, I can't even comprehend, even after I had seen a little of it. I didn't go looking though, no need for me to be rubbernecking and getting in the way while emergency services were trying to do their thing.

[Penny]

Thanks for answering.  I have about a gazillion questions I want to ask. 

I am so pleased your sisters house is OK.  It was good you were handy and able to go and lend a hand.  My family down there all seem to have come about unscathed.
 
I imagine the whole thing would be pretty surreal.  I have felt my fair share of earthquakes, but to continue getting it time and time again thats gotta get to you. 

Chch will never be the same.  I realy feel for the small businesses that are in the buildings that have to come down.  It is going to be so hard for them.  Some have 10 mins to get in and get everything they can, and so theres going to be loss there!

Thanks for sharing.

[Reformed]

 

Bravo big man... well done. Whish I was in a position to help

power surges, no water

That..., my dear people is pretty much standard here in SA... and we don't have earthquakes or volcanos or any other types of natural disasters...

Who knows, maybe we are lucky and God chooses SA to plant his asteroid / meteorite if and when that might happen one day... The we can also be in the news for something other than idiocy.

[Strathen]

It appears 2 negatives do make a positive. 

[Reformed]

I'll be buggered