Otago go top of the table

By CHRIS RATTUE

Wellington were firing more shots off the field than on it last night, as Otago leaped into the NPC lead with the 26-8 win and set themselves for a home semifinal.

Wellington's prospects sank in the rain and slippery underfoot conditions at Westpac Stadium, with Otago convincingly winning the top-of-the-table clash.

Wellington, who led the competition on points differential going into the penultimate round, have a soft final assignment against Northland, so are still reasonably placed. But they are now unlikely to enjoy a home advantage.

Otago, meanwhile, are at home to Taranaki, a match they will be heavily favoured to win.

But Wellington threw a spanner in the works last night when their chief executive, Malcolm Holmes, announced they would appeal against the decision only to fine North Harbour over the Chad Alcock eligibility row.

A New Zealand Rugby Union committee will hear the appeal on Wednesday.

The inference is not only that Wellington want North Harbour docked the five competition points they secured when Alcock played before his South African clearance arrived, but that he might be ruled ineligible from subsequent games.

Alcock's clearance did not arrive by round four, the cutoff time for adding new players.

Harbour beat Wellington 15-3 in their fourth-round clash, so Wellington might now be due the competition points on appeal.

Holmes said: "It is a fundamental basis of sporting competitions that participants are bound by rules, including those relating to eligibility, and it is incumbent upon participants to comply with such rules.

"If you don't comply you expect to suffer the consequences, and the punishment handed down to North Harbour is inadequate."

Otago fullback Willie Walker was the star of last night's win, a match he was not even scheduled to start in.

The late withdrawal of Neil Brew brought Walker in, and he was immaculate in dreadful conditions at fullback, and put on a brilliant goalkicking display, in marked contrast to his Wellington counterpart, Riki Flutey.

Walker nailed six out of seven attempts, including two sideline conversions, to steer his side to victory.

Otago scored from the first genuine attack of the game, in the 47th minute, when wing Glen Horton was given an overlap.

Halfback Danny Lee - another to impress in awful conditions - slid over at fulltime.

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