Blame Canterbury.
It is always a solid option but, in the case of Otago’s dashed NPC playoff hopes, it is mostly accurate.
The northern neighbours wrecked Otago’s weekend.
Having done their part by beating Northland in Whangarei on Friday night, Otago had to sit by and hope for results to go their way on Saturday if they were to make the top-eight playoffs.
Otago needed two out of Counties-Manukau, Southland and Canterbury to lose.
Counties played the early spoilers by beating hapless Manawatu 45-26, but that was to be expected.
Shockingly, Otago’s oldest rivals then did them an immense favour.
Southland delivered a performance for the ages, rocketing to a 40-0 lead over North Harbour before settling for a 59-35 win.
That kept Otago clinging on to eighth place.
Ominously, though, it required Waikato to beat Canterbury. In Christchurch. Comfortably, too, as a single Canterbury bonus point would draw them level with Otago, and the red and blacks would progress on the first tiebreaker, having beaten Otago in the round robin.
Canterbury ensured no such tiebreaker would be needed as they sent Waikato packing with a 36-19 win.
It meant Otago finished ninth, two points off the top eight.
That is at least better than last season — when Otago finished a lowly 11th — but failing to make the playoffs for a third consecutive year is hardly reason to party.
Wellington went top of the table with their 49-28 win over Hawke’s Bay, but many assumed Tasman would reclaim top spot yesterday.
Instead, Taranaki waltzed into Nelson, won 42-29 and left with the Ranfurly Shield, ended the Mako’s first Shield reign after just one successful defence.
In the final game of the regular season, Bay of Plenty edged Auckland 26-24.
NPC quarterfinals
Wellington v Counties-Manukau
Bay of Plenty v Hawke’s Bay
Taranaki v Waikato
Tasman v Canterbury
