Just what the doctor ordered.
Otago, needing to beat Auckland to seal an ITM Cup home semifinal next week, did exactly that at Forsyth Barr Stadium yesterday, beating the men from the City of Sails 37-33.
The win also handed the Lin Colling Memorial Trophy back to Otago.
Otago was playing its third game in nine days and could have used that as excuse to put up the white flag against a big and strong Auckland side.
But instead it muscled up, refused to buckle and, in the end, won the physical battle.
In fact, it dominated both territory and possession in a game that was your typical stadium encounter - quick, all over the park, with plenty of skill and vigour.
Otago led 21-18 at the break and, after conceding a penalty in the early stages of the second half, scored 16 points in a row and managed to hang on as Auckland tried to mount a rearguard battle.
Otago prop Scott Manson said it was a game where Otago stuck to its plan at both ends of the field.
''It was a game where we didn't feel as though we did a whole lot of defending,'' he said.
''We'd done our research on them and stuck to our game plan. We wanted to attack them and shift it wide and they tried to do that to us.
''But we got a few turnovers and managed to keep the ball from them.''
Manson was part of a strong Otago scrum that managed to win a couple of penalties at scrum time at vital times.
He said his opponent was trying to get under him but ended up going too low and was penalised.
Otago rattled on those 16 points in the second half, in nearly as many minutes, starting with a nice try to skipper Paul Grant, who was on the end of a long movement as Otago successfully recycled the ball.
Auckland tried to come back and scored a try right on fulltime but Otago was home and hosed by then.
Best for Otago were Grant and Manson while Lee Allan, on the openside flank, got through a ton of work.
Hayden Parker kicked 22 points and was good in general play, while halfback Fumiaki Tanaka again played well.
In the first half, Otago scored a slick try after just eight minutes.
Winning ball off the top of the lineout, it went out to midfield, where centre Kieran Moffat came back infield.
He then timed his pass to perfection to flying winger Buxton Popoali'i, who tore through the middle of a flat-footed Auckland defence, to score under the posts.
Just past the midway mark in the first half, Otago was in again through some good work by Parker and the aerial skills of Tom Donnelly.
Parker put in a nice cross kick and Donnelly plucked it out of the air and barged over from 5m out.
Auckland, though, refused to go away and when skipper Hadleigh Parkes strolled over just on the half-hour mark, the visitors were only three points behind.
Parker and Simon Hickey then swapped penalties for Otago to have that three-point lead at the break.
Otago v Auckland
The scores
Otago 37
Buxton Popoali'i, Tom Donnelly, Paul Grant tries; Hayden Parker 2 con, 6 pen
Auckland 33
George Moala 2, Hadleigh Parkes, Lolagi Visinia tries; Simon Hickey 2 con, 3 pen
Halftime: Otago 21-18
Crowd: 3300
