Strong all-round performance from Otago

Otago hooker Liam Coltman makes a break against Manawatu during their Mitre 10 Cup match in...
Otago hooker Liam Coltman evades the tackle of Manawatu centre Josiah Maraku on his way to scoring a try during the round two Mitre 10 Cup match at Central Energy Trust Arena in Palmerston North yesterday. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
It absorbed the pressure and then it unleashed.

A combination of grit and flair helped Otago to a 36-25 win over Manawatu in Palmerston North yesterday.

The result gave Otago its first win of the Mitre 10 Cup, having been well-beaten a week ago by Auckland in the season opener.

On attack Otago was lethal.

It used its back three well and used the ball with intent to run in five tries through the middle part of the game.

Meanwhile, defensively, it showed plenty of steel, tackling well early to set the platform for the win.

Indeed, Otago had little ball for the first 25 minutes.

Manawatu applied huge pressure to the line and the Otago defence hung tough.

It conceded just one try, as regular halfback Jamie Booth — who was playing on the wing to accommodate Aaron Smith — crossed in the corner.

But that and a penalty were all the hosts could manage.

On several occasions Otago came up with try-saving efforts, fullback Vilimoni Koroi notably knocking the ball free from Booth’s hands in the corner when a try seemed certain.

Conversely, Otago made full use of its first chance — and those that followed.

It regularly sought to attack from inside its own half, playing with width and getting its lethal backs the ball in space.

Right winger Freedom Vahaakolo made the first break which got the Manawatu defence scrambling.

Koroi went over in the corner from a lineout not long after.

Minutes later Liam Coltman struck, the hooker hitting a superb line and running 20m to the line just before halftime.

That gave Otago an unlikely 14-8 lead at the break.

It continued in the same manner after halftime and Coltman again made a break, before showing a nice pair of hands to set up Vahaakolo, who beat his man and finished well in the corner.

A Josh Ioane penalty followed, before a pair of intercept tries to Koroi and Collins — the latter intercept coming from Vahaakolo — took Otago ahead 36-8.

Manawatu hit back three times in the final 13 minutes as Otago made changes, Aaron Smith crossing twice and Micaiah Torrance-Read adding another.

Otago coach Tom Donnelly was pleased with the result and said it was important after a tough loss against a very good side a week earlier.

He felt the defensive effort in the early stages had been key.

"I thought the first 20 minutes they had us under a heap of pressure," he said.

"We just scrapped and fought and defended.

"If they got away to a bigger lead it could have been a different game.

"So really pleased with how the lads worked for each other, trusted each other and just scrapped [on defence] which allowed us to play our game through that middle period of the game."

He felt the side did not look after the ball well early, although once it held on to possession it showed its danger.

It leaves the side in good stead ahead of next weekend’s Ranfurly Shield challenge against Taranaki.

That comes after Taranaki upset Canterbury 23-22 in Christchurch on Saturday.

In other games, Waikato beat North Harbour 41-19, Hawke’s Bay toppled Counties-Manukau 31-17, Bay of Plenty edged Southland 17-14, and Wellington ran in six tries to overpower Auckland 39-21 in a big away win.

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