Player ratings - Otago v Southland

Otago's Naulia Dawai ran strongly in the open and was prominent on defence, hitting hard and...
Otago's Naulia Dawai ran strongly in the open and was prominent on defence, hitting hard and making plenty of tackles. Photo by Getty
ODT Online rugby correspondent Jeff Cheshire rates Otago players after their 61-7 victory over Southland in Dunedin last night.

Michael Collins 8/10: Lively on the counter, took great options and found gaps with ease. Hardly put a foot wrong in arguably his best performance for Otago.

Sio Tomkinson 6/10: Played in an unfamiliar position and didn't do anything wrong, although did not see a lot of ball either. Took good options and looked to keep the ball alive.

Matt Faddes 8/10: One of Otago's best once again. Was threatening with ball in hand, excelling with his speed and strength to make a handful of breaks and attract the attention of the defence.

Tei Walden 6.5/10: Pretty solid, took good options and finished off a good try. Made quite a few tackles in the midfield.

Jack Wilson 7.5/10: Chased well, was strong defensively and had some great touches on attack which helped put Otago into try scoring positions.

Peter Breen 7.5/10: Kicked well once again. Also took the ball to the line on attack and brought a measured approach while also providing spark.

Josh Renton 7/10: Provided good service, supported well after the ball went wide and put in a couple of good kicks, including the one which put Otago into position to score the first try.

Naulia Dawai 7.5/10: Recovered well after dropping an early kick. Ran strongly in the open and was prominent on defence, hitting hard and making plenty of tackles.

James Lentjes 7.5/10: Outstanding in his first game back from injury. Made some good tackles, but was most noticeable in his breakdown work, where he was instrumental in turning ball over.

Adam Knight 7/10: Got his hands on the ball in the open and carried it well, while getting involved around the field.

Tom Franklin 8/10: Very good in the lineout, was noticeable in his work around the field and threw a nice inside ball to put Jayden Spence into a gap, which he took and scored off.

Blair Tweed 7/10: Got around the field well, made his tackles and hit rucks.

Hisa Sasagi 7/10: Another who worked hard, getting to rucks, making tackles and looking to carry the ball.

Liam Coltman 8/10: His throwing was a bit off at times, but was huge around the field. Added physicality, made his tackles and scored an outstanding try in which he stepped a player then carried a tackler over the line.

Craig Millar 7/10: Got around the field well, provided support at the ruck and made a handful of tackles.

Sekonaia Pole 6/10: Came on in the second half and was active, getting around the field well and doing his job.

Aki Seiuli 7/10: Made an impact, was aggressive in contact and threw a good offload.

Donald Brighouse 6/10: Played the last 20 minutes. Was fairly solid but not spectacular.

Jackson Hemopo 6.5/10: Made one good run down the right side of the field, did well in his first game back.

Mika Mafi 7.5/10: Carried the ball strongly to provide go-forward, including the phase before Renton's try. Got around the field well and went looking for the ball.

Kaide Whiting 6/10: Closed the game out well after coming on late, putting a few kicks in behind and making one good run.

Fletcher Smith 7.5/10: Added spark to the backline, took the ball to the line, ran at gaps, put players into space and made a couple of breaks, including one to set up Renton's try. Found space kicking in behind the Southland line too.

Jayden Spence 7.5/10: Had his best game of the season, was dangerous with ball in hand and came off his wing to score a good try.

Add a Comment