The talented Hawkes Bay first five-eighth just slotted penalty after penalty instead. Five of them in total. Most of them from very handy positions.
It helped the visiting side seal a 29-24 win in the championship semifinal at Forsyth Barr Stadium. West, of course, scored a crucial try to help his side wrestle the Ranfurly Shield off Otago six weeks ago.
Yesterday's win was more emphatic. Hawkes Bay was more physical, it dominated the ruck area and held on to the ball for long periods.
When the penalties came, and they came often, West simply obliged. Perhaps the key moment came when Trent Boswell-Wakefield sprinted past a tiring Fumiaki Tanaka and athletically gathered the ball. Tanaka, who had been coasting, was caught unaware but found the energy to catch Boswell-Wakefield and make the tackle. But the loose forward fired a pass infield which centre Richard Buckman scooped up and then dived over.
Moments later, West drilled another penalty and Otago found itself trailing 26-10.
Otago coach Tony Brown felt the key moment was midway through the first half when he believed his side was denied a try.
Flanker Lee Allan looked to have scored a fair try but replays cast doubt. The TMO ruled Allan got the ball across the line with a double movement.
Brown strongly disagreed, telling the Otago Day Times it was ''a clear-as-day try''. He believed the support players had pushed Allan across the line and the try should have been allowed. It was certainly a turning point but perhaps not critical. Otago was leading 10-6 at that point. Winger Matt Faddes scored the game's first try. He scooped up the ball his opposite, Telusa Veainu, had fumbled and ran the best part of 50m to dot down.
It was a brilliant piece of skill and also against the run of play. Hawkes Bay had the better of the opening half and monopolised possession.
The pressure eventually told and halfback Alby Mathewson skipped across for simple try. He gathered the ball from the back of the scrum and squeezed between two would-be defenders.
That allowed Hawkes Bay to take a 16-10 into the halftime break.
Otago showed some early enterprise when the game resumed, running the ball out from its 22. But prop Scott Manson let his team down when he was yellow-carded for a shoulder charge on West.
The home side's tactics were a little hard to figure out. With a man in the bin, Otago opted for quick lineout throws and to play the game at pace. Oddly it worked. Hawkes Bay was not able to make its numerical advantage count.
Buckman's try forced Otago into catch-up rugby and the Razorbacks mounted a comeback.
Loose forward Gareth Evans looked every bit like an outside back when he stepped the last line of defence to score. Lock Tom Franklin, who had a strong game, popped him a beautiful pass and Otago benefited from what was possibly a forward pass earlier in the move.
Both teams made a series of changes and, in the final 10 minutes, gaps started opening up everywhere. Otago squandered several opportunities but eventually Franklin managed to get across. Hayden Parker rushed the conversion and there was just enough time for a restart.
Peter Breen offloaded in a tackle and got a smart pass to Parker who ran 40m up field before being tackled.
A crowd of 5900 sensed an unlikely comeback but the move petered out when the ball was swung left and knocked on.
The Magpies will travel to Nelson to play Tasman in the final and Otago will reflect on a season in which it won the Ranfurly Shield but could not get back into the top tier of New Zealand rugby.
Championship semifinal: The scores
Hawkes Bay ... 29
Alby Mathewson, Richard Buckman tries; Ihaia West 5 pen, 2 con.
Otago ... 24
Matt Faddes, Tom Franklin, Gareth Evans tries; Hayden Parker 1 pen, 3 con.
Halftime: 16-10, Hawkes Bay
