THE OIL
Otago’s season was like going to a barbecue and discovering the cook has burnt all the sausages.
No-one over 8 would be happy to be dished up a tomato sauce sandwich.
What when wrong?
Well, a lot.
Otago certainly had enough talent.
The likes of Josh Dickson, Jona Nareki, Sam Gilbert, Thomas Umaga-Jensen, Jermaine Ainsley and Christian Lio-Willie formed a solid core.
Mix them in with the younger crew of Fabian Holland, Josh Whaanga, Ajay Faleafaga, Rohan Wingham, Finn Hurley and Jake Te Hiwi and you definitely had a team capable of making the playoffs.
The draw was pretty handy as well. They avoided playing Canterbury and Auckland.
But the campaign faltered early and often.
Otago started with back-to-back-to-back losses and were not able to generate any momentum in a compressed season.
The 33-32 loss to Hawke’s Bay left the side bruised in more ways than one. First five Cameron Millar picked up a season-ending injury. Gilbert and Nareki limped off as well.
Otago posted a win against Southland next up, but were pumped by Bay of Plenty 38-14 and lost a heartbreaker to North Harbour.
They had a good win over Northland at home, but were well beaten by Taranaki and thrashed by Waikato. The loss to the Mooloos snuffed out their playoff prospects.
Sunday’s game against Counties-Manukau at Forsyth Barr Stadium was irrelevant but, for the record, Otago turned in a strong final 40 minutes to win 38-22. It was a quality half that came way too late.
Now there is a recipe for a burnt offering.
BEST GAME
The 30-15 win over Northland was thoroughly decent. The tight five put in a big shift. Nareki shook off a niggly hamstring to produce a power-packed performance. And Gilbert was assured at fullback. First five Faleafaga showed his promise with a deft kick-pass in the opening stages of the game.
WORST GAME
One performance really stood out — that 47-7 loss to Waikato. Sports editor Hayden Meikle covered the game and described it as "one of the worst Otago performances of the modern era".
"They displayed a frightening inability to get out of their own half, they conceded penalties every time they blinked, and they generally looked a mile off the pace." Oof.
MVP
Lio-Willie kept ploughing forward and the No8 was one of the few ball carriers Otago could rely on to bump a tackle or two. Umaga-Jensen had his moments as well, while Nareki worked hard but it is unclear whether he was ever fully fit.
MOST IMPROVED
Prop Rohan Wingham was superb at scrum time. He needs to keep working on the rest of his game but he is a real talent. Whaanga started every game for Otago, which was a big workload in his first year out of school. He put in some very solid performances.
WE DISCOVERED ...
... Gilbert should never come within cooee of the No10 jersey again. He is a very good fullback and possibly a better midfielder. But he was shown up by Aaron Cruden in the painful loss to Waikato.
... Sean Withy needed more of a rest following a big Super Rugby campaign. He was not the only Highlanders player who looked overcooked.
... you can’t win games of rugby if your opponent has all the ball and is camped in your half most of the game.
... just how valuable James Lentjes is as a player. Otago struggled at the breakdown in his absence.
... young players need time to develop. The likes of Hurley, Faleafaga, Te Hiwi, Whaanga and Wingham are years away from their best form.
QUESTIONS FOR 2024
- There was some disquiet when Otago coach Tom Donnelly was reappointed for another two years following a lean season in 2022. That unease has only gathered momentum. Should the union revisit that decision and advertise the role?
- Does one NPC team really need a head coach, a forwards coach, a backs coach, an extra assistant coach just in case, a manager, an assistant manager, two strength and conditioning coaches, a nutritionist, an analyst, a doctor, a physio and a player development manger?
- Does New Zealand Rugby need to address the length of the season and make some drastic changes to the NPC, including some serious cost-cutting?
- Will Otago, at least in part, move away from Forsyth Barr Stadium and host some games at different venues in the city and perhaps even take some games to the regions?
