Otago Spirit captain Gemma Tuhega was absolutely gutted with her side's one-point defeat at the hands of Hawkes Bay at Bayfield on Saturday.
Having lost several key players in recent seasons, Otago Spirit had targeted Saturday's match as a must-win to get back in the mix for the national provincial championship.
The side started well but a committed Hawkes Bay defence kept it scoreless before turning defence into attack for Kate Badshaw to expose some weaknesses out wide for Otago and score in the corner.
This jolted Otago into action and it began to dominate through its forward pack, with its tight five featuring both at set piece and at the rolling maul.
Michaela Smith and Kylie Cathro dominated the lineout and featured along with Bobby Symes and Beth Mallard in broken play. The loose forward trio of Nicola Crawford, Leyhana Van Vugt and Angie Sisifa provided momentum, and key tackles in defence.
But despite a top effort from the Otago pack, and Hawkes Bay capitulating with its constant infringing, it managed only a solitary try through its captain and prop, Tuhega. The lead was short-lived when Otago infringed on defence for Sylvia Bockman to land her only goal of the day and give Hawkes Bay an 8-7 lead at the break.
Hawkes Bay rang the changes at the break and muscled up its forward pack, with Black Fern Melodie Bosman giving strength to the front row and motivating the pack. Whether it was those changes or something in the water, the Otago pack went off the boil in the second half and let itself be dominated.
Miriana Hokianga and Chanel Huddlestone proved a potent force in midfield, with dangers lurking outside them in wings Michaela Baker and Krysten Duffill, which ultimately ran Otago ragged and led to a try to fullback Amy Williams.
The Otago pack found its second wind late in the game and scored through second five-eighth Victoria Nafatali. But Otago had left its run too late and will surely rue allowing Hawkes Bay back into the match.
Otago Spirit coach Tim Belcher believed his side had done enough to win but fell victim to one or two decisions not going its way.
"A couple of times our discipline let us down in key areas on the field. But, overall, a much better performance than last week against Wellington," he said. "The girls played really, really well. I'm very pleased."
Otago faces a mammoth task next Sunday when it plays Canterbury in the curtain-raiser to the Canterbuty v Waikato ITM cup match at Rugby Park. But Belcher thinks that if his side can play well up front, they will "give them a game".
Hawkes Bay captain Chanel Huddleston was pleased to come away with the points on Saturday, as she looked ahead to her side's game next week against Auckland.
She gave credit to the Otago forward pack.
"I thought they dominated us in the first half but fell away in the second when Melodie [Bosman] got things going for us.
"I don't think we played to our strengths and fell into a trap of playing them at their own game. But I'm happy to get the win."
Women's NPC
- The scores
• Hawkes Bay 13
Kate Bradshaw, Amy Williams tries; Sylvia Bockman pen
• Otago 12
Gemma Tuhega, Victoria Nafatali tries; Nafatali con
• Halftime: Hawkes Bay 8-7
