As Thames Valley went to clear the ball from the first kickoff, North Otago winger Ben McCarthy charged it down, scooped it up and scored within the opening 10 seconds.
It was the catalyst for a high-scoring Heartland Championship clash that finished with the Old Golds winning 45-36 at the Oamaru Showgrounds on Saturday.
They played some champagne rugby — especially in the opening half — and scored some brilliant tries in sunny conditions.
It was a significant effort to beat the Swamp Foxes, the defending Meads Cup champions and always a hard team to bring down.
McCarthy put the Old Golds up 7-0 early and co-captain Hayden Tisdall bustled over from a well-worked team try five minutes later.
The Old Golds came out with great intensity, looking to put the visitors under pressure from the first kick.
They stifled Thames Valley’s chances with the ball and had a couple of good breaks up the field.
Blindside flanker Toni Taufa scored another try and Kenta Iemura’s accurate boot added another conversion to give North Otago a 21-0 lead after 16 minutes.
The Swamp Foxes finally got on the board.
Aporosa Vuniyayawa picked it off the back of the scrum and chucked it blindside to Finley Davenport to score.
Iemura banged over a penalty before Thames Valley lock Connor McVerry scored to make it 24-12.
The Old Golds scored a critical and well-worked team try just before halftime.
Taufa won a penalty over the ball as Thames Valley tried to exit again.
They went to work from a scrum on the 25m and they recycled the ball before swinging it wide for winger Hopoate Finau to finish.
The Old Golds held a 31-12 lead at halftime and were the first to strike after the break with another good team try.
Co-captain Savenaca Rabaka shrugged off a couple of defenders down the flank and halfback Kippei Taninaka quickly recycled.
It went through several pairs of hands, eventually finding a way to big No 8 Junior Fakatoufifita, who was never going to be denied that close to the line.
Quinn Collard, one of the best for the Swamp Foxes, dotted down and converted his own try to close the gap slightly.
Then came some individual brilliance.
Rabaka charged down Thames Valley’s kick about 10m from the line and darted after it, jumping up to collect it just inside the goal and appearing to touch down just inside the goal line.
It was ruled no try, but the Old Golds were rewarded a penalty try after Logan Allen tackled Rabaka without the ball and was sent to the bin.
That made it 45-19.
Collard banged over a penalty and replacement flanker Laulea Mau scored a couple of late tries to close the gap.
North Otago were down to 14 players for the final 20 minutes after replacement prop Mateo Qolisese was red-carded for taking a player out off the ball in a reckless play.
But the home side withstood the heat in the final passages.
Wairarapa-Bush handed West Coast their first loss, winning 24-14, and South Canterbury beat Whanganui 35-24.
Mid Canterbury thumped East Coast 82-7, Poverty Bay beat Buller 38-3, and Horowhenua-Kapiti won the Bill Osborne Taonga after beating King Country 46-36.
