When you play Canterbury, you simply have to do the basics right.
Unfortunately for Otago, right from the kick off, it did not do that very well in its ITM Cup opener against Canterbury at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Saturday night.
Otago misjudged the kick off, a player got offside, and Canterbury kicker Tom Taylor was lining up the first of his four first half penalties within the first 30 seconds.
Otago prop Craig Millar, making his return to this level after a year out following a shoulder injury, said the mistakes were costly.
''The errors let us down. The one percenters just come out and those little things create tries out wide,'' Millar said.
''Things like the lineout delivery, clean scrum completion, little knock ons - they are the telling factor, to be honest.
''Too many soft errors got in the way of our game. Against a Canterbury team, when you clean out a player, you have got to take them to the ground - take them out of the game.
Too many times, it was costing us too many players at ruck time and that left them with players on their feet and space to use on the field.''
Canterbury was able to recycle the ball with ease and its passing was crisp when it looked to get the ball wide.
Otago scrambled well in defence but Canterbury made easy metres around the ruck.
Some good covering kept the score down and Otago had a chance of two bonus points in the dying stages if it had scored a converted try, but it could not get across the line.
Canterbury skipped out to a 9-3 lead just after the quarter hour mark but Otago winger Jack Wilson scored a nice try in the corner after Otago had won a turnover at a ruck and the backs had switched the ball to the left quickly.
Taylor then banged over another penalty to regain the lead and the visiting side scored two quick tries in a five minute spell in the end of the first half.
First five eighth Richie Mo'unga went over as Otago ran out of defenders, while blindside flanker Reed Prinsep made the most of an overlap.
Otago trailed 26-10 at the break, but lock Josh Dickson got across after nine minutes of the second half after fullback Tony Ensor ran the ball back from a charged down kick.
Canterbury then shut Otago out of the game for good with rolling maul tries to hooker Ben Funnell and flanker Matt Todd.
Otago centre Jayden Spence was harshly yellow carded for not giving the ball back immediately when Canterbury won a penalty.
Winger Matt Faddes scored for Otago with just over five minutes left, following a nice run from a couple of the backs.
Faddes had a tidy game on the wing, and first five eighth Fletcher Smith showed some nice touches.
Up front, Dickson was good in the lineout and captain Liam Coltman made some good charges.
ITM Cup
The scores
Canterbury 38
Richie Mo'unga, Reed Prinsep, Ben Funnell, Matt Todd tries; Tom Taylor 3 con, 4 pen
Otago 24
Jack Wilson, Josh Dickson, Matt Faddes tries, Fletcher Smith 3 con, pen
Halftime: Canterbury 26-10.
Crowd: 6888.
