Rugby: Otago almost assured of place in semifinals

Otago rugby coach Cory Brown at the Forsyth Barr Stadium. Photo by Peter McIntosh.

Otago has all but confirmed a place in the ITM Cup semifinals with two games to go and could still host a playoff game.

The side returned to Dunedin yesterday following its 39-32 win over North Harbour in Auckland on Thursday night.

The victory and the five points that went with it has put Otago just one point behind second-placed Wellington in the cup.

It sits third on 22 points and Bay of Plenty is fourth on 17.

Southland is the only side that could tip Otago out of the semifinals.

It has 13 points and has two tough games left.

North Harbour and Northland are out of the running.

Southland plays Hawkes Bay in Invercargill tomorrow and then finishes its regular season with a match against Canterbury in Christchurch.

It would need the maximum 10 points to get ahead of Otago.

Bay of Plenty, which plays Wellington tomorrow, will play Otago in the final game of the regular season in Dunedin on October 11.

Otago will play Northland next Wednesday before taking on Bay of Plenty.

Wellington will play Manawatu in the capital in its last game of the season.

Hawkes Bay, sitting on 30 points, looks like it will be the top qualifier.

The team that finishes second will host a semifinal and Otago could get itself into that position if it manages to win both its games and Wellington stumbles.

Should teams be tied on points, the winner of the game between the teams will have the higher position.

Otago beat Wellington in the regular season.

Otago coach Cory Brown said the side just wanted to keep ticking along and was not getting too far ahead of itself.

He said it was another good win over North Harbour, and there was the bonus of getting the four tries, which made for an extra bonus point.

But he said the side was disappointed after the game in the way it played.

''The guys were not happy, just about the number of tries which we leaked. We did some really good things, linked really well, and our attack was sharp,'' he said.

''But if you look at it overall, we have got to be better than that in the future.''

North Harbour was poor in both receiving and taking kick-offs and Brown said that was a deliberate tactic.

Mika Mafi was the only injury issue from the game, badly straining his calf, and he may be in doubt for the final two regular games of the season.