Who dares wins.

Well, what happens when the teams double-dare each other?

Something terrific, that’s what.

Otago and Tasman kept delivering the crazy.

And the home team was just a little more nuts.

Defence and structure were abandoned for razzle and dazzle.

Otago turned a 28-19 halftime lead into a 57-33 win in front of nearly 3000 fans at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Friday night.

Here is the raw data.

Thirteen tries. Ninety points. The occasional tackle.

The game actually started quite conventionally.

Tasman strung phase after phase together.

But Riley Lucas released the pressure valve for Otago with a break in the midfield. He found Jake Te Hiwi, who carried the ball strongly into the 22.

But there was a little knock-on and the opportunity went begging.

Hooker Henry Bell orchestrated a rolling maul which Tasman brought down illegally.

But the home team could not turn the field position into points.

Tasman snatched a turnover and wriggled their way out of trouble.

Former All Black Shannon Frizell made a punishing carry and they got the ball out to prolific try-scorer Kyren Taumoefolau and he dived over.

Otago first five Cameron Millar left for an early HIA and did not return. His replacement Patrick Pellegrini responded for the home side.

He muscled over out wide and bounced the conversion over off the post as well.

It took some desperate defence by Jona Nareki and Sam Nemec-Vial to prevent Tasman from hitting back immediately.

Tasman had another dip and fullback Maloni Kunawave cut back inside to dot down.

But a brilliantly worked lineout move saw Josh Whaanga go in under the posts.

It was the sort of plan which works at training but seldom during an actual game.

Tasman produced their own kind of wonderful moments later. David Havili burst through a gap and got a chicken-wing offload to Kunawave.

Macca Springer loomed up in support and finished off with an athletic dive at the corner.

The tries kept coming.

Te Hiwi will probably never get an easier one.

Harry Irving charged down a clearing kick. It rolled dangerously in front of the posts to the second five, who just had to pick it up and flop over.

The final few minutes of the half were dazzling.

Otago halfback Kieran McClea picked off an intercept and set off for the corner some 90m away.

Springer ran him down — just.

Tasman recovered the ball and counter-attacked.

But Nemec-Vial got his hands on it and drilled a 50-22.

And guess who emerged from the lineout drive with a five-pointer — Casey, of course.

He has scored in every game this season.

Otago went into the break with a 28-19 lead.

It had been frenetic.

And the straps stayed fastened in the second spell.

Otago stretched their lead with a sublime try early in the second half.

Nareki finished it off in the corner. There had been a series of scarcely believable offloads in the lead-up.

The defence was not at the same standard.

Kunawave went through a hole at the other end moments later.

It was loose but lively.

Finn Hurley had entered the fray and immediately made a scintillating break. The Otago fullback has other-worldly abilities.

But Casey is not bad either. He got a sneaky offload to Te Hiwi, who went around a defender and got a sneaky offload to Lucas, who scored.

Pellegrini brought the half-century up with a penalty.

It was the only time either side opted for a sedative.

 

NPC

The scores

Otago 57

Patrick Pellegrini, Josh Whaanga, Jake Te Hiwi, Lucas Casey, Jona Nareki, Riley Lucas, Kieran McClea, Finn Hurley tries; Pellegrini 7 con, pen

Tasman 33

Maloni Kunawave 2, Kyren Taumoefolau, Macca Springer, Nic Sauira tries; Cooper Grant 4 con

Halftime: 28-19