Rugby: Rampage a warning to capital

By WYNNE GRAY

Auckland 50 Otago 9

Promising became potent for Auckland. Average became awful for Otago.

As the sides veered towards opposite ends of the NPC table after Saturday's meeting at Eden Park, the intrigue about their calibre and future increased.

Auckland will meet Wellington in the opening semifinal on Friday night, after both sides used their counter-attacking skills in the weekend's round to push them towards that confrontation.

While some of Wellington's forward work against Waikato was not so efficient, Auckland's pack was strong and the team's defence impregnable.

They had a patchy first spell and little possession but scored three times and led Otago 19-9 at halftime.

The visitors had little attacking edge and after the break simply floundered until referee Colin Hawke ended their misery.

They have not won at Eden Park for 24 years and judging by the way they played, they will have to wait another 24 for victory at the blue-and-whites' headquarters.

Auckland humiliated them. They taunted a team with seven All Blacks, a side who had to finish well after an ordinary season, but gave it away. That sort of brittleness has been tolerated long enough in the All Blacks.

The final try confirmed Otago's fragility. Replacement Auckland utility Orene Ai'i danced about 60m upfield after starting a counter-attack and then stopped. He looked up, saw a couple of team-mates alongside him and spotted three others on the other side of the park.

Time to try something that Zinzan Brooke would have approved of. Ai'i ignored the easy option, put in a left-foot cross kick and Amasio Valence went over for his second try.

It was contemptuous and imperious rugby. Auckland just toyed with Otago in a special second half when they cut loose for five tries. For much of this season the NPC champions have played it safe, and their balance sheet does not show many bonus points for tries.

But on Saturday, sensing Otago were at a low ebb, they went for broke. Coach Wayne Pivac had suggested before the match that his side were starting to peak and were ready to unleash some more attack for the semifinals.

Expecting them to trounce Otago though, seemed a bit optimistic.

"Otago were not as excited as I thought they were going to be," was Auckland skipper Charles Riechelmann's dry summary.

Kevin Gloag, who may have made his last visit to Eden Park as Otago coach, thought the Ranfurly Shield challenge the previous weekend may have taken the sting out of his side.

Skipper Kelvin Milleton said of his side's poor season: "If we are brutally honest, a number of players in the team have not stepped up."

After further mediocre work, Carl Hoeft and Tony Brown could face an All Black stepdown. Their form has evaporated in comparison with that of fellow internationals Taine Randell, Anton Oliver, Byron Kelleher and Pita Alatini.

Josh Kronfeld's last game for Otago finished before halftime when he damaged knee ligaments.

Auckland, meanwhile, threw more names at the national selectors.

Doug Howlett confirmed his class, Carlos Spencer showed his, and Robin Brooke oozed it. Young, talented Keven Mealamu and Mils Muliaina continued their progress, while Riechelmann, Xavier Rush and Dylan Mika had powerful matches.

Valence showed on his NPC starting debut what an exciting attacker he can be in midfield.

Resting some players worked, but it will have given Pivac a puzzle or two about semifinal selection. Does he continue with the Valence-Eroni Clarke midfield axis, keep one or other, or bring back the usual Craig Innes-Iliesa Tanivula combination?

At least Auckland have that luxury, while Otago have painful memories until next season.