Otago tackled its heart out, never gave an inch, and went deep into the tank to beat Auckland 34-26 at Forsyth Barr Stadium last night.
It was more than a courageous victory from Otago. It was simply lion-hearted.
At one stage it had no locks on the park and loose forwards filling the second row.
The defensive effort was mind-blowing at times.
If you were stuck in the trenches with these Otago lads, you’d be charging through no-man’s land with gay abandon.
Players just continually got up to move to the next phase or tackle, and it met the physical Auckland game front and centre.
Otago led 24-14 at the break and kept out the Aucklanders, who were rather one-dimensional, for most of the second half.
Otago coach Cory Brown heaped praise on his side.
"It was one from the ages, really. Just so proud of the boys’ determination and commitment and effort. Just the way they kept getting up," he said.
"We defended well, but I thought we controlled the territory really well, too. When we were able to apply pressure to them we scored points and that put scoreboard pressure on them."
The win gave the side the Lin Colling Memorial Trophy for the first time in four years.
Otago lost lock Blair Tweed to a neck injury picked up in training before the game and then within the first two minutes Tom Rowe broke his forearm and was forced off.
No 8 Sione Teiu went into lock and Mika Mafi, who has been training with Otago for the past three weeks, and playing No 8 for North Otago, came on.
Lock Josh Furno then had a spell in the blood bin in the first half, so Otago had no locks on the field.
But it simply rolled its sleeves up and launched itself at the men in blue and white.
"We just got on with it. Kept coming forward and kept knocking them over ... it was the effort of wanting to get up off the ground and showing the attitude. That may have been the difference between the two teams.
"You can train it, but they are the ones who put it in."
Members of the Colling family had spoken to the Otago players before the game and that had helped the effort, Brown said.
It would be hard to pick any Otago player ahead of another, as the entire squad put in top efforts.
The set piece was again strong, while the backline ran hard and shut down the Auckland ball-runners.
Otago got off to a great start.
Malakai Fekitoa threw a flat pass and it was intercepted by his opposite number, Sio Tomkinson, who sprinted 55m to score untouched in the third minute.
Auckland was stunned, but it got its mind back on the job and used its considerable muscle up front.
Big second five-eighth George Moala wandered into the ruck and grabbed the ball to score after the Auckland tight five had driven the ball to the line.
But Otago then scored almost straight away. After a sickening head clash between Fekitoa and Tomkinson, the ball landed in the hands of Otago and it swept down field, leading to winger Jona Nareki dancing his way over near the posts.
Fekitoa was forced off the field and spent the rest of the game getting stitches in his mouth and was checked for concussion.
Returning All Black Jerome Kaino also picked up a knee injury and was limping round after the game.
Mitre 10 Cup
The scores
Otago 34
Jona Nareki 2, Sio Tomkinson 2, Josh Furno tries; Fletcher Smith 3 con, pen
Auckland 26
George Moala 2, Vince Aso tries; penalty try; Jono Hickey 2 conHalftime: 24-14
Crowd: 4000