It wasn't pretty but Otago have scrapped their way to a 15-10 win over Southland in Invercargill to claim their second win of the 2012 ITM Cup.
The conditions were tough, as a strong wind swirled and rain poured down for the majority of the game, making for a messy affair with both teams delivering error-ridden performances. But it was Otago who were able to make the most of their opportunities, kicking five penalties despite defending for the most of the game.
And that sums up the game. It was Southland who played most of the rugby, particularly in the first half where they dominated possession and territory. They looked to use a dangerous-looking backline early on, before tightening up as the game progressed and used their big forward pack to get on the front foot.
But the Otago defence held strong and despite a handful of missed tackles, scrambled well enough to ensure Southland remained scoreless until the last minute of the half.
It really was a case of a dominant team not taking their opportunities, especially when shots were turned down close to the posts. In contrast Otago saw little ball and other than a period in the middle of the half, struggled to put any phases together. But they took their chances as the reliable boot of Hayden Parker ensured they took a 9-7 lead into the break.
The second half saw the game become even messier, as both teams began to make use of high kicks to put the opposing back under pressure. These weren't received well, and consequently the second half became a disjointed affair as both teams struggled to gain any dominance.
What was telling in the end was the second half penalty count, as Southland conceded six penalties to Otago's three. Otago were able to convert two of these into points, whilst Southland managed just one to take the final score to 15-10.
Southland simply made too many mistakes, getting themselves in good position and then turning it over, allowing Otago to clear and relieve pressure.
Credit must also be given to the Otago defence, who held firm for the most part all night and forced Southland to chance their arm at times.
Once again the referee's whistle was a major factor in the game, with 24 penalties being awarded throughout, a lot of which seemed to be reasonably harsh. This prevented the game getting into any sort of flow and contributed to the messiness.
It has got to the stage where there is such a grey area in the laws that there is too much variety in the interpretation of different referee's, making it a frustrating watch for fans as well as hard for the players and the referees themselves.
Although it was the good work of the Otago forwards at the breakdown that forced many of these penalties and they did well to gain a handful of breakdown turnovers against what was supposedly a stronger pack.
Both flankers were prominent, with TJ Ioane proving strong with the ball in hand whilst Lee Allan tackled well. Tama Tuirangi was the best of the tight forwards, getting around the park well and was the dominant figure in two breakdown penalties.
The conditions made it hard for the backs to shine and consequently they didn't get much to work with.
It was up to Fumiaka Tanaka to tidy up a lot of ball, something he did extremely well. He began running more in the second half and looked much better when he did so, to complement his pass and good decision making. The other back to stand out was Glen Dickson, who was strong in the midfield, making some good runs and providing some go-forward.
There is still plenty to work on, but the side will take heart out of the fact that they have now gained their second win in three games, showing great commitment and playing good wet weather rugby.
It was messy, but that was always going to be the case in a game like this. The main thing is that the game was won and the points obtained.
Otago now moves on to play Counties-Manukau next Friday at Pukekohe.