Otago 23 Northland 20
KEY POINTS:
Confidence is a fragile thing.
Otago's took a capital hiding in Wellington a week ago and they needed an hour to regain some of it at Carisbrook last night.
In the end, with replacements, first five-eighth Charlie Hore and halfback Chris Smylie providing the vim and the points,
and flanker Adam Thomson and captain and lock Tom Donnelly stoking the engine, they got home by three points against gallant Northland in their Air New Zealand Cup clash.
Northland were up at halftime, but it was not until five minutes from the end that promising first five-eighth Daniel Bowden, the pick of the visitors, set up substitute Josh Levi for the try which ensured a bonus point.
Otago will have wondered how they squandered a whale's share of first-half possession. The error rate will give them a decent clue. Northland spent much of the match on defensive duties, and therefore made fewer of them.
The crowd stayed away to such a degree that the lettering of Otago's sponsors on the main grandstand seats could be clearly seen. Perhaps they figured that a team pounded by a record losing margin a week ago couldn't turn things round that quickly in a week. They didn't but at least they are on the board.
Northland, buoyed by a 27-all draw against North Harbour that they should have won last week, plugged away resolutely.
They did have strong moments from the pack, where Joel McKenty and Jake Paringatai battled grittily, and they gained a dose of self belief as the first half wore on. They were chasing a first win at Carisbrook since 1979.
But they could not build on it in the second half. When Hore sliced through a big gap off a tighthead 15 minutes from the end, it gave a sufficient advantage for Otago to hold on.
The two first-half tries were good efforts. Otago capitalised on a Northland attack breaking down. First five-eighth Callum Bruce made a break, Thomson carried it on and Bruce was on hand for the final pass.
But in a case of anything you can do, Bruce's opposite, Bowden, turned on a piece of magic shortly after.
Admittedly helped by tardy tackling, Bowden, in for veteran David Holwell, nevertheless showed a touch of class to zip through a hole and hold off fullback Glen Horton's attempted tackle for a fine individual try.
Otago: C. Bruce, C. Hore tries; Bruce pen, con; Hore 2 pen, con.
Northland: D. Bowden, J. Levi tries; Bowden 2 pen, con; Levi con. Halftime: 10-13