New arrivals
Otago were eager to cast off the shackles and play a bold brand of rugby that could take them into the playoffs.
Key to that was the emergence of two extraordinarily talented young men.
Halfback Dylan Pledger really has transformed the way Otago can play, thanks to the speed of his clearances.
You can clearly see the influence of touch in his game and he has quickly become the most important player on the paddock.
Openside Lucas Casey has also been a revelation. He is like a hybrid flanker/winger and human highlight reel in the mould of Oli Mathis.
He looks ready to start for the Highlanders.
Coming of age
Champion teams are not created overnight and Otago’s turnaround has roots that tap into some painful seasons past.
Being dubbed perennial underachievers must light a fire.
They also have a core of players who have had a decent stretch in the blue and gold. Players like Will Tucker, Sam Gilbert, Cameron Millar and Christian Lio-Willie have grown in confidence and hit career-best form together.
Tucker has nabbed some critical steals and has been the key reason why Otago has the best lineout in the competition.
Gilbert has been more reliable than tax, particularly under the high ball, and he has made some very timely entries into the backline.
Millar has morphed from Dan Hollinshead to Dan Carter. He has shaken off a difficult Highlanders season and a slow start to the NPC to emerge as a major threat.
Lio-Willie has been a force off the back of the scrum for Otago. He shapes as a strong contender for NPC player of the year.
Fit as a fiddle
Otago have enjoyed a relatively injury-free season, except in the front row, where they lost giant tighthead Saula Ma’u and busy hooker Henry Bell.
Josh Timu has had a nightmare run with injuries in the past, but has mostly been fit this season and has shown what he is capable of with consistent rugby. He has built a wall in the midfield that none shall pass.
Injuries have robbed Jona Nareki of some pace but, boy, he throws himself around. He barrels into tackles, kicks 50-22s, wins turnovers at the breakdown and continues to beat defenders and slice through the defensive line.
Team culture
Unheralded coach Mark Brown, who someone in the office described as permanently looking half-asleep, is a charismatic figure who gives off a lovely, warm feeling. He really does have everyone singing off the same hymn sheet. He is the puppet master, a benevolent Svengali, the pilot who is most definitely not asleep at the wheel.
Consistency
Brown has picked more or less the same group of players each week and they have repaid his faith by getting better each week.
Team announcements became a bit like the weather in Brisbane — the same every time.
The performances have been like that as well.
The players have really committed to playing the game at pace and they executed the game plan perfectly with a wonderful performance against the Bay of Plenty in Dunedin last Friday night.
