Otago eased to a comfortable 50-21 win against Counties-Manukau in Pukekohe on Thursday night.

It would be a stretch to describe it as a polished effort.

Clinical is not the right word either.

Effective is perhaps getting closer.

It is not the words that matter anyway. It is the numbers and Otago picked up maximum points against a team who has a sneaky habit of derailing Otago’s plans.

The win may have come at a considerable cost.

Otago’s best lineout forward Oliver Haig limped off late in the second half.

First five Patrick Pellegrini also went off injured, while fullback Finn Hurley was a late scratching.

The early signs were good.

Otago won a scrum penalty, which was telling.

Pellegrini kicked for touch and visitors began their assault.

Counties-Manukau succumbed to a lineout drive.

Lucas Casey emerged with the ball to maintain his incredible scoring streak.

He has scored in all eight games this year and that was his tenth for the season.

But Otago found themselves backed up against their own line and defending desperately as the home team searched for a reply.

They defended well but gave up too many penalties, so the next to infringe went to the bin and that was hooker Henry Bell, who got himself offside.

Sione Molia snuck over for the home team and they swung straight back on to attack.

They trapped fullback Sam Nemec-Vial at the back.

Counties took a quick tap and swung it to Gibson Popoali’i, who barged over.

Otago had the ball briefly at the beginning of the half but spent most of the first 20 minutes defending.

They scored quickly when they got in range. Jona Nareki scooped up a loose pass and muscled over.

Otago was starting to get on top around the ruck and got a free ride up field courtesy of another penalty.

They pounced from the lineout. Will Stodart won the ball and Christian Lio-Willie, in his 50th game for Otago, attacked down the short side.

He got a sneaky offload to loosehead Ben Lopas, who crashed over.

They had been a bit sloppy but that was slick.

They struck again quickly, but it was a total gift.

Halfback Melani Matavao threw a pass that sailed past two of his teammates to a third, who fumbled it into the hands of Lio-Willie.

The ball was already over the line when he caught it and all he had to do from there was fall down.

Happy 50th.

Otago looked to have added a fifth try before the break, but the touch judge was confident it was out.

Maybe there was an elbow in touch. Maybe.

It would have been another one for Casey.

Otago led 26-14 at halftime and piled on pressure early in the second half.

But a stray pass from Nareki saw that opportunity slip away.

Pellegrini kicked them back into some good field position.

Lio-Willie uncoiled a couple of big charges and his offloading game is a nightmare for his opponents.

Jake Te Hiwi straightened the attack and got an inside ball to Haig, who loped over to complete the triple for the Otago loosies.

Powerful tighthead Saula Ma’u barrelled over from close range midway through the second spell.

That would have been game over but the Steelers struck back immediately.

Peniasi Malimali charged down a clearance from Nemec-Vial from the kick-off and dived on the loose ball to score.

It revitalised the home team. Then Otago’s best lineout forward, Haig, limped off.

Was there a twist coming?

Yeah, nah.

Counties were a little frantic and coughed up the ball.

Otago replacement loosie Slade McDowall, who was also playing his 50th game for the province, dived over, and Nemec-Vial got a late intercept.

 

NPC

The scores

Otago 50

Lucas Casey, Jona Nareki, Ben Lopas, Christian Lio-Willie, Oliver Haig, Saula Ma’u, Slade McDowall, Sam Nemec-Vial tries; Patrick Pellegrini 5 con

Counties-Manukau 21

Sione Molia, Gibson Popoali’i, Peniasi Malimali tries; AJ Alatimu 2 con, Jackson Rainsford con

Halftime: 26-14