And rightly so.
Auckland had swept all before it this season, averaging 55 points a game.
So when Otago scored first and restricted Auckland to only two tries in the first half, Spirit coach Duncan McEwan and his team went in to the halftime huddle with their confidence up.
After early nerves forced turnovers, Otago Spirit was forced to defend at the start of the game, but weathered Auckland's attacks time after time.
Greer Muir was making good metres and it was a bust through the middle from the left winger that created Otago's first and only try of the day.
She ran 50m before handing off in the tackle to right winger Larissa Muir, giving Otago a surprising but deserved 5-0 lead.
Auckland finished the half strongly with two tries, one to captain and hooker Fiaoo Fa'amausili and the other to right wing Natahlia Debnorah-Moors, who ran a smart angle to scythe through the Otago defence and give Auckland a 12-5 lead at halftime.
Otago came out with plenty of purpose in the second half before Auckland first five-eighth Ruahei Demant found space and set free replacement winger Makineti Hufunga for the first of her tries after 10 minutes.
Hufunga scored her second try seven minutes later before Otago's defensive legs got tired and allowed winger Kiritapu Demant (two tries) and lock Eloise Blackwell to dot down.
But McEwan could not be disappointed with the pressure valve being released in the final quarter.
''We've worked really hard on our defensive structure this season,'' he said.
''As a smaller team, we're probably going to end up defending more than we attack. It's a big part of how we train.
''It makes me really proud as a coach to see wave after wave of attack and they hold them out. You can't get mad with them for creating a few gaps later on, when they're exhausted.''
The brave effort gives the Spirit squad motivation during the off-season during which players will try to add size to their frames.
''To be honest, they'll be pretty happy with their performance,'' he said.
''For a full 50 minutes into it, they were well in the game still and playing well.
''The girls are pretty confident about where we are going to go next year, but they believe - that's the main thing. They know they can compete with these teams now - we've just got to get a bit stronger in the off-season and keep working on our structures.''
Otago No8 and captain Angie Sisifa was remarkable at the base of the scrum, somehow peeling off with the ball regularly despite the seven forwards in front of her facing immense pressure from a massive Auckland pack.
''She's a great captain and a really inspirational leader and her skills keep growing and growing.''
Auckland coach Dean Bickerton said the Otago match was just what his side needed going in to the play-offs.
''The Otago girls certainly brought it, which we thought they would. I thought their defensive structure was really good - these girls here [Auckland] were maybe a little bit complacent in the first half.''
Otago under-19 finished fourth at the national tournament in Taupo on Saturday.
The team lost 28-23 to Taranaki in the play-off for third and fourth places in a game which remained close the whole way.
Otago led 11-10 at the break but could not get in front near the end when Taranaki held on.
Canterbury won the title with a last minute 41-35 win over Waikato.
