ITM Cup: Last-minute try gets Otago over the line in thriller

Matt Faddes scored the game-winning try for Otago. Photo / Getty Images

Otago 37
Wellington 36

An extraordinary last minute try to centre Matt Faddes gave Otago a 37-36 Championship victory in the rain- and wind-swept capital.

All the statistics and momentum were against the visitors, who seemed to be out of the game until a yellow card to flanker Ardie Savea with five minutes to play. They scored two tries in that time.

A brilliantly instinctive play by Savea looked to have sealed this Championship clash in the 72nd minute. He drove over after latching onto a kick, and was his usual pest at the breakdown, but then came his costly card.

The win prevented the Lions going to the top of the ITM Cup Championship table in place of Hawke's Bay.

These two franchise base unions have strangely not played since 2012, so Otago regained the Mike Gibson Memorial Trophy.

A surfeit of possession in the second spell told for Wellington, and they secured the bonus point.

Otago continued where they left off against Auckland on Sunday. The cleaned rucks, made their tackles, ran hard and generally played with the sort of intensity you don't expect from the lower reaches of the Championship table.

No 8 Mika Mafi powered over for the first try, while Faddes pounced on a loose Cory Jane pass for his five pointer.

The former All Black, who was at fullback, was already in credit, though, via a sweet flick pass to set up his blindside flanker Vaea Fifita.

Another former All Black, lock Jeremy Thrush, was heavily involved in an industrious Wellington pack effort.

The Lions hauled themselves back into the contest right on halftime when prop Jeffery Toomaga-Allen scored to reduce the gap to five.

There was a plenty of niggle among the packs.

Wellington have nine days until their next outing, at Waikato on Sunday week, while Otago are at home to Southland on September 26.

Wellington 36 (Jeffery Toomaga-Allen 2, Vaea Fifita, Ardie Savea tries; Jason Woodward 2 con, 4 pen) Otago 37 (Matt Faddes 2, Mika Mafi, Naulia Dawai tries; Peter Breen 4 con, 3 pen) Halftime: 18-23