More Shield misery for tragic Otago

Canterbury's Cameron McIntyre heads towards the tryline. Simon Fergusson / Getty Images

Canterbury 22 Otago 17

Stop all the clocks, cut off the phone and bring out the coffin to carry home the dreams of Otago. And please put the bone firmly in the dog's mouth. Now is not the time to bark.

WH Auden probably never thought his words would be so aptly applied to a rugby match but he probably never knew the agony of Otago.

The York-born poet should be the wordsmith of choice for people from the South.

He's ever so good at capturing the mood of a province which surely can't bear any more of this nonsense.

It's gone on for almost half a century - 49 years of what might have beens to contemplate.

Last night was yet another loss that was plucked defiantly from the jaws of victory. Josh Blackie, with a superb solo try midway through the second half, put himself forward to be a hero forever and a day. So, too, Nick Evans with his booming punts and delectable pass that set up Greg Zampach for Otago's opening score.

But come the final whistle, all the heroes were wearing red and black. That's Canterbury for you. An impregnable rock even when shorn of Carter, Mauger, McCaw, MacDonald, etc.

While the sympathy lies with Otago for giving one more desperately brave hurl, the plaudits have to be heaped on Canterbury.

No side in New Zealand can handle pressure the way they do. Look at Harbour on Friday night - they came to Eden Park full of dash and vigour and then got a bad case of stage fright.

Canterbury, stage fright ... no chance. When Otago were pummelling Canterbury's line in the early exchanges of the second half, the defensive intensity rose. When Blackie managed to do the unthinkable and get through the barricade, there was no discernable deflation in the home side. The body language didn't suggest this was a team shellshocked.

In fact, much the opposite. It brought out the best in the hosts.

The forwards started punching big holes and the backs started finding big spaces.

First, Campbell Johnstone burrowed over to restore the lead, then an excellent move where the ball was moved effortlessly through the hands allowed Cameron McIntyre to extend it to eight points.

They needed the magic margin, too. Otago kept believing that if they threw the ball around from deep in their own half, it might result in a Hollywood style, it's a long shot but it might just work finale.

There was no fairytale ending, though. Canterbury were far too street smart to surrender an eight point lead with 15 minutes on the clock and Seilala Mapusua didn't help matters by twice knocking on when something tasty was brewing.

Talking of brewing, the man wearing the Otago No 13 shirt, Neil Brew, must be wondering if he is really going to head to Bristol without someone in New Zealand rugby protesting.

The All Black selectors have been so busy waving a magic wand at Isaia Toeava that maybe they have missed a gold nugget lurking right under their noses.

Brew was once again rugged on defence and effective with ball in hand. He doesn't blow games open but time and again, he does the right thing and keeps going forward.

Plenty of other centres - Toeava for one - would love to be able to do the same.

Being solid is not the worst thing a centre can be, presumably a point Bristol are quite delighted no one in New Zealand has fully grasped.

Brew might yet have the last laugh as despite the loss, Otago played well enough to suggest they could yet get revenge further down the track.

Canterbury 22 (M. Tuiali'i, C. Johnstone, C. McIntyre tries; B. Blair 2 cons, pen)
Otago 17 (G. Zampach, J. Blackie tries; N. Evans 2 cons, pen)