Southland were the better team for about that length of time before slipping to a 29-14 loss to Canterbury in Christchurch yesterday.
It was the Stags’ sixth NPC loss from seven games this season but yet another example that, for all their inability to win games, they have plenty of spark and commitment.
They played well — really well, in patches — but just lacked the killer blow, and that has been the tale of the tape this season.
The Stags also failed to put enough points on the board with a howling wind behind them in the first half.
Their opportunities to break their 2023 duck are running out but they do have consecutive games at home, against Hawke’s Bay and Bay of Plenty, before wrapping the season against Manawatu.
Southland did plenty of good work against Canterbury in a first half dominated by the wind and both sides’ struggles with its strength.
Indeed, the Stags spent plenty of time in the attacking zone and looked full of energy against a Canterbury team at the end of its storm week and playing into the breeze.
Loose forwards Leroy Ferguson and Blair Ryall popped up here, there and everywhere; lock Mike McKee threw himself into every collision; and halfback Connor McLeod was full of zip and hustle.
The problem for the Stags was that nearly every time they got into a good attacking position, they either made an error or ran into some vigorous Canterbury defence.
Canterbury spent comparatively little time hard on attack but they made it count.
Fergus Burke scored the opening try after 13 minutes when he showed surprising strength to barrel through a couple of tackles.
Burke was the instigator five minutes later when he delivered a perfect pass to winger Ngane Punivai, who cut back sharply off his left foot to beat McLeod to the line.
It could have been "uh oh, here we go again" time for the Stags.
But they responded well, and made much of the play for the rest of the first half.
Their persistence was rewarded in the 30th minute.
A clean lineout take was followed by a textbook drive that carried hooker Nic Souchon over the line.
The Stags came out of the sheds trailing 12-7 and wasted no time taking the lead — and in some style.
McLeod got the team rolling, some offloads got Canterbury back on their heels, and lock Danny Drake pushed through two tacklers before stretching out to score the opening try of the half.
Boilover time? If only.
Canterbury were not particularly impressive but they lifted after the introduction of some beef off the bench.
Reserve hooker George Bell burrowed over the line in the 61st minute, and veteran halfback Willie Heinz made the game safe six minutes later after a sweeping counter-attack.
NPC
The scores
Canterbury 29
Fergus Burke, Ngane Punivai, George Bell, Willi Heinz tries; Burke 3 con, pen.
Southland 14
Nic Souchon, Danny Drake tries; Dan Hollinshead 2 con.
Halftime: Canterbury 12-7.
