The win was far from convincing.
But at the back end of storm week, you take a win however you get it.
Otago held off a final Southland attack to win 37-32 in Invercargill this afternoon.
Yet Southland played its part in what was a thrilling game.
Every time Otago looked to gain breathing space, the hosts answered to linger close enough to keep the lead uncomfortable.
It played with width and flair, throwing the ball around and finding space in the Otago defence to score three superb tries.
But Otago did enough to stave off the challenge.
It scored three tries of its own in the first half, one from a lineout drive and two equally impressive in the backline.
While Southland never went away, Otago kept its own score ticking over.
It held a 24-15 halftime lead, before the boot of Josh Ioane and a break from Ray Nu’u, finished by Josh Dickson to hold the Stags at arm’s length.
The win was Otago’s third in a row, following last week’s victory over Tasman and a mid-week win over Hawke’s Bay.
Otago shot out to a 10-0 lead, on the back of a Josh Ioane penalty and a lineout drive try – which came as a result of a dominant scrum winning a penalty for Ioane to kick into the corner.
However, Southland hit back as Otago winger Vilimoni Koroi was sucked in on defence, putting electric winger Michael Manson into space.
The former Otago Boys’ High School star scorched up the right wing, linking with Grayson Knapp to score.
Banks equalised minutes later, before Otago responded by sending the ball through the backline for Freedom Vahaakolo to tear up the right wing to score.
It was an hectic period – just five minutes separating the two tries.
Thomas Umaga-Jensen was a handful in the Otago midfield the whole first half, and generated the next try when he offloaded to James Lentjes to run into a gap and score, making it 24-10.
Umaga-Jensen left following that, shortly before halftime.
However, Southland pulled back as they went wide again, this time Matt Whaanga going over in the corner.
Ioane made it 27-15 just after the break, before a horrible kick out on the full from Vahaakolo gave Southland a lineout for flanker Matt James to cut through the defence and score under the posts.
It was a key moment in the game, pulling Southland back to 27-22, but Otago responded.
Ioane kicked another penalty, before Nu’u broke through the defence and Dickson finished off to make it 37-22.
Southland kept coming and when Viliami Fine crossed late in the corner, it pulled to within five.
But Otago did enough to hold on as Southland came up short after one final attack.
