Strong start from forwards
It was disappointing to go into halftime four points behind after all of the dominance Otago had. With the wind at their back, they carved off good distance with the boot to force Tasman to play a lot of rugby in their own half. From here the forwards were outstanding, applying pressure on defence and protecting the ball well on attack.
There were plenty of hard workers in the tight. But the inability of the backline to spark anything prevented them from cashing in on this. Michael Collins ran hard and Jayden Spence broke a tackle well to score a try, but there few others offer anything, which really was an issue.
Good teams wear you down
If the first half was where Otago failed to win the game, it was the final twenty minutes where they lost it. Tasman are a good team and usually it is the better team that will finish the strongest. Otago had fought bravely for an hour, but the intensity of the game caught up to them. They began to fall off tackles and found themselves under pressure. Tasman stayed patient and kept plugging way in close. Otago kept tackling, but Tasman were able to force the defensive line into disorganization.
You can only cling on for so long like this and eventually it told, as Otago conceded two tries.
Breakdown officiating
This is not to blame the referee for the loss. But there was more than one time when the breakdown was policed in a way which was questionable to say the least. The most memorable of these was when Hugh Blake was penalised for incorrect entry to the ruck after a steal. It was a harsh call. He was the tackler, meaning he did not have to come through the gate and as there were no Tasman players on their feet, it was not yet a ruck. When one finally arrived Blake had picked the ball up and was off up the field.
It makes you wonder what else he could have done. If that is going to be how that law is officiating, they may as well just do away with it.
Later in the game there was another ruck where Jayden Spence had his hands on the ball in a legal position. Not only did the Tasman player not release, but he had a second go at it too. From here Tasman went on to score a try. Another telling blow and while there are always instances such as these, it is frustrating when the referees seem to pick up obscure offences but do not pick up obvious ones such as these.
Lack of X Factor
Otago's biggest problem this year has been their lack of flair in the backline. They have a bunch of solid players who try hard, but there are just too many of these. Somewhere they need to find some sort of spark of punch. Individually they have been tidy enough, but as a collective they are far too one-dimensional and need to be surrounded with one or two players who can break the game open.
It is the role Buxton Popoalii would have played and it is clear they are missing him. In a way it is not dissimilar to the Highlanders in recent years. We all saw what a difference having penetrative runners such as Malakai Fekitoa and Patrick Osborne made for them. And so it would for Otago too.
However, it is not as simple as that and if the players being used are the best available, then at least they are a group who try hard and run the ball aggressively.
Not for a lack of trying
This is a Tasman team who will push making the final of the Premiership. While Otago should be aiming to be at this level too, sometimes you have to be realistic. They are a team with some youngsters who have come a long way and were missing the likes of TJ Ioane and Lee Allan. It was a top effort and they kept playing right until the final minute. In the end it was just fatigue and the power of the Tasman forwards in close that cost them. You have to be pleased with the way Otago controlled the first half though, as well as the top performances from Hugh Blake and Michael Collins, who both had two of their best games for Otago.
