The home side notched up 29 unanswered points in the second half, looking as good as any team in the competition for 40 minutes.
It was a different story early on though, as Tasman maintained all the possession and constantly had Otago under the pump. They were made to defend on their line for 15 minutes before finally getting their hands on the ball. This was done reasonably well, scrambling to let a seemingly dominant side score just one try despite all the chances they had.
And that was how it went for the first half, as Tasman showed off its attacking flair, making the most of the indoor stadium to play some good running rugby.
They were playing the game at pace and at times it seemed Otago were struggling to keep up. But the defence held and a try during one of Otago's rare forays into opposition territory saw them trail by just three at the break.
The second half saw Otago come out a reinvigorated side. In contrast Tasman looked lethargic and couldn't keep up the pace they showed in the first half.
The Otago forwards began to gain more dominance and gave the backs some good ball to unleash with. And unleash they did, scoring four tries, showing excellent hands, good ball movement and some genuine flair.
Fumiaka Tanaka was outstanding, playing his best game since his arrival in the south. While his pass and kicking game has been on show all season, he has now showed that he has a running game and a very good one at that. He looked dangerous every time he sniped and was able to make constant inroads around the fringes. A Highlanders contract may not be out of the question.
It was hard to fault any of the other backs either, particularly during the second half where they manipulated their numbers well and did everything with apparent ease.
Buxton Popoalii was electric as always, whilst Tony Ensor showed some Ben Smith-like qualities on the counterattack. In closer Jayden Spence was immense on defence, Glen Dickson was reliable as always and Hayden Parker continued to impress with his boot and running game.
The forwards were a mixed bag, being completely outplayed in the first half before coming back to completely outplay their opponents in the second. The lineout operated well and gave the backs a good platform to work off, whilst the breakdown was also a strength in the second half.
Gareth Evans was the stand out, effecting a handful of turnovers and showing he has a strong all round game. He was complemented well by his fellow looseforwards who seem to now be working together as trio much better than they were earlier in the year.
Both locks were strong too, getting through plenty of work and showing good ball skills. The front row held up and the work of these men in the tight in the second half was large reason for the turnaround.
Otago now face Hawkes Bay on Saturday night in the second of their games against Premiership teams. However don't write them off because of this. If they can play 80 minutes like they played in the second half against Tasman they will be competitive with anyone.