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Joe Allison / Getty Images
Otago blocking Josh Dickson brings the ball into contact at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Friday.
Northland has booked his place in the final of the Miter 10 Cup Championship next weekend after a grueling and sometimes brutal 32-19 semi-final victory in Dunedin on Friday.
The hero of the night was Sam Caird, a padlock tied to Waratahs, who galloped through a hole in Otago’s defense after 72 minutes to put Sam Nock on the game-defining try.
Joe Allison / Getty Images
Northland veteran Rene Ranger is tackled by Otago’s Jona Nareki at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
The sight of the 202cm behemoth gliding through tackles and sweeping downfield will long live in the memories of Taniwha fans, and he gave Northland a crucial 25-19 lead with less than 10 minutes to go.
Matt Matich sealed the deal five minutes later with another try, and the Otago season made a mistake and ended and dusted.
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* Miter Cup 10: Tryless Otago wing Jona Nareki puts the team in first place while Northland waits
After taking a 30-7 beating at Forsyth Barr Stadium in the seventh round, such an enthusiastic team from Taniwha clearly took revenge on their minds and threw everything at Otago, who had to defend for long periods in the second half.
For Northland, Nock, Josh Goodhue, Tamati Tua, Rene Ranger and Tom Robinson were excellent.
Jona Nareki pushed for the home team, and Thomas Umaga-Jensen provided strength from the bench, but they couldn’t live with Northland’s sustained intensity.
The rocking nature of the contest was emphasized by a breathless 15 minute period in the second half.
With Northland leading 13-12 after 52 minutes, Taniwha’s flanker, Kara Pryor, killed an attempt by dropping the cold ball just as he slid down the left flank with no one in front of him.
A howl of an error from Otago wing Vilimoni Koroi followed, who made a quick shot and quickly threw it at Northland’s Sam Nock.
Joe Allison / Getty Images
Jona Nareki flies in to score for Otago in the Championship semifinal against Northland.
However, Pryor’s blushes were saved minutes later when Northland captain Jordan Olsen crossed the line from the back of a lineout.
But 10 minutes later, the otherwise calm Josh Ioane cut through a half space to feed Sio Tomkinson, who ran away home to restore Otago’s lead at 19-18.
Still, Northland would not leave and they finished by far the strongest of the teams.
Northland opened the scoring in the 9th minute thanks to a good attempt from Jone Macilai.
A tremendous cut pass from Tua put the left wing on the outside of Koroi and Macilai smashed through fullback Michael Collins on the way to the try line.
Number 10 Johnny Cooper added the extras and nailed a simple penalty minutes later, when Taniwha started with more bite and precision than the home team.
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Northland’s Jone Macilai scores the first try of the match at Dunedin.
It took Otago 24 minutes to assert any kind of physical dominance, when a powerful scrum within his own 22 meters earned him a much-needed penalty.
A loose carry from Macilai further opened the door for Otago, and from the scrum move that followed, they looked ready to score in the corner until Northland fullback Matthew Wright intentionally hit the ball.
Referee Mike Fraser trashed Wright for his infraction, and while Northland survived the opening round from the lineout, Kayne Hammington charged up a Sam Nock clear kick and Otago wing Nareki swooped in to score.
After 34 minutes, Otago took advantage of Wright’s absence from the backfield with a clever kick from Collins, but Ranger’s brilliant work at halftime saved the day for Northland.
However, Otago would not be denied before the break. After rejecting several penalty kicks on goal, midfielder Josh Timu ran a hard line off Ioane and brought two defenders with him over the try line.
Ioane succeeded with the conversion to give Otago a 12-10 lead
Northland 32 (Jone Macilai, Jordan Olsen, Sam Nock, Matt Matich tries, Johnny Cooper with, 2 pens, Wiseguy Faiane 2 against) Otago 19 (Jona Nareki, Josh Timu, Sio Tomkinson tries, Josh Ioane 2 cons) HT: 10-12
