Disappointed? Yes. Despondent? No. Otago captain Christian Lio-Willie was closer to the top of the optimism scale following his side’s 19-15 loss to Canterbury in Dunedin on Sunday afternoon. The visitors took the Ranfurly Shield home with them but Otago salvaged a good portion of confidence from the defeat. They were more than a match for the defending NPC champions in most areas. They had more territory, more possession, a dominant scrum, they carried the ball more and they looked more threatening. Canterbury’s defence was stoic, though. And they controlled the lineout. “Oh man, that was a classic battle. It was a huge battle,’’ Lio-Willie said. “I cannot doubt the boys' effort. “We had the ticker, it's just about the details and it came down to moments, you know, execution. “That's something that we can tidy up and review. But something you can't teach is the ticker and that's what I'm so proud of with our boys.’’ That review will likely focus heavily on the lineouts. Otago lost five of their 17 lineout throws and blew a couple of prime opportunities to launch a lineout drive. Canterbury scored all three of their tries through lineout drives. Hooker Brodie McAlister flopped over for a brace. “It just came back down to our execution and the little things like the throw, lifts, jumps and those are things that we can tidy up.” Lio-Wilie suggested the pressure perhaps got to Otago a little. However, they could now turn their attention to “the one trophy we've been looking for from the beginning which is the NPC”. “I'm very confident based on the performance of the boys that we can tidy up our detail.’’ Otago’s lineout was hamstrung due to the absence of blindside Oliver Haig, and seasoned hooker Liam Coltman was ruled out late with a calf complaint. But there is also a lack of depth at lock. Both starting locks Will Stodart and Joseva Tamani are a better fit on the blindside. Canterbury lock Jamie Hannah had a strong game and was disruptive in that phase. Otago reserve prop Ben Lopas crashed over late to set up a tense finish. And Otago kept giving the ball air and went searching for a winner. Winger Jae Broomfield was excellent under the high ball. Fellow winger Jona Nareki was a live wire. Tamani made some devastating carries. Lio-Willie was busy and tighthead Saula Ma’u spearheaded a forceful Otago scrum. There is a lot to build on. Otago showed creativity and ambition in the face of impressive defence. Lesser teams may have cracked. “We're not going to stop playing that way. You know, the coaches have been awesome in telling us, even when we're in dire moments, not to go into our shell at all. “We just want to keep throwing it, keep pulling the trigger. That's the brand of footy that has brought our fans back.’’ The Otago team to play Manawatū in Palmerston North on Saturday evening will be named on Wednesday.
