With the season now over for Otago, ODT Online rugby contributor Jeff Cheshire looks at the standout players and performances from the team's 2013 ITM Cup campaign.
Rookie of the Year: Craig Millar
If you had not known that Millar was a rookie this season, you would not have picked it. He consistently impressed, working hard, making tackles and tidying up loose ball. He was always one of the first supporting players to the ball carrier. At scrum time he was solid and the lineout functioned alright too. Definitely an encouraging start to a career and higher honours may not be too far away.
Most Improved Player: Lee Allan
While Allan was good in 2012, he took his game to another level this year. His work rate on defence was fantastic, tackling well and often. On attack he became more prominent as the season wore on. Early in the season he was often replaced after 50 minutes by TJ Ioane, but by the end there were times where he was left on as he was simply playing too well to take off.
Other improvers were Jayden Spence, Scott Manson and Aki Seiuli.
16th Man of the Year: TJ Ioane
Ioane was so good off the bench that he was only able to get one start all season. He is very much an energy player, who goes looking for work and has good leg drive in contact. With ball in hand he was a beast and he often went looking for tackles to make.
Other top performers off the bench were Charlie O'Connell and Aki Seiuli.
Defensive Player of the Year: Lee Allan
No one got through as much work on defence as Lee Allan, who was always the most prominent tackler and did his best to get over the ball at the breakdown.
Best Team Performance: 26-19 Win v Waikato
It doesn't even matter how good or bad they were in this or any of their other games, it was merely the symbolic value of winning the Ranfurly Shield that ranks this performance as the best. The team did what Otago has been unable to do for 56 years and it sure was a memorable week as the Shield was paraded around the region with great pride. It was a gutsy performance that made this possible, personified by the way they were forced to defend for what seemed like an age to close the game out in injury time.
Worst Team Performance: 49-16 Loss v Tasman
Perhaps it was the hangover from their week with the Ranfurly Shield, but Otago just never looked up for this game. The forwards were too slow to the breakdown and were committing in enough numbers, while too many tackles were missed. Tasman in contrast were dominant and put in one of their best displays of the season. In saying this, Tasman have been a class team this year and will enter as hot favourites this weekend to win the Championship final.
Players whose Super Rugby stocks have risen
Jayden Spence: He impressed this year and was arguably Otago's most dangerous back on attack. He ran hard at the holes in the defence and was showed some good footwork to make a handful of breaks. On defence he was solid and contained his opponents well. He is also versatile, capable of playing both midfield positions and also on the wing.
Lee Allan: Like Spence he is a young player and still has plenty of room to go. While perhaps not having the all round game of a Super Rugby openside flanker yet, he has the key ingredients that should allow him to make the step up. His work rate on defence is his most impressive trait and he seems to have the instincts to know where to be.
Craig Millar: Impressed with a high work rate and showed himself to be solid in the scrum. Perhaps he needs another year at provincial level to get a bit more experience but he appears to be on the way to bigger and better things. The physicality of Super Rugby is a step up from the level he has been playing at thus far, but given the Highlanders are in need of a loosehead prop, he might be worth a go over the next few years.
Most Valuable Player: Tom Franklin
Franklin consistently delivered top quality performances. He was a strong tackler and always worked hard in the tight, while also being a capable ball runner in the open. In the lineout he was generally used towards the back and was generally a safe option here. His efforts were rewarded with a Highlanders contract for 2014.
