Canterbury 44 Otago 6
KEY POINTS:
Canterbury strolled into the Air NZ Cup rugby semifinals by easing their way past Otago 44-6 in Christchurch today.
Only messy finishing denied Canterbury an even more one-sided scoreline in a quarterfinal they dominated throughout.
Although the possession stakes were even Canterbury turned a decisive territorial advantage in the first half into a 17-0 lead by the interval.
Tries to loose forward Hayden Hopgood and young lock Isaac Ross should have been added to but Otago were given a glimmer of a hope at the break due to Canterbury lacking their normal clinical finishing touches.
Canterbury were always dangerous when creating turnovers and Otago did not help themselves by missing touch with clearing kicks.
Fullback Charlie Hore did just that in the 16th minute which his Canterbury opposite Scott Hamilton gladly ran back at the visitors before Hopgood was put across the tryline from the resulting ruck.
Fourteen minutes later Ross pierced the Otago defence around the fringes of another ruck after first five-eighth Stephen Brett sliced through the midfield.
Brett was denied a try of his own when television replays showed he was nudged into touch just short of the line by Otago No 10 Chris Noakes, and a fine return of another inaccurate kick by wing Paul Williams came to nothing when the final pass went astray.
Otago were very limited on attack, taking play in Canterbury's 22 only once in the entire first half.
The pattern was similar in the second half after Hore finally put Otago on the scoreboard with a penalties from handy positions in the 43rd and 49th minutes.
Otago competed well enough in the forwards to earn their share of possession but they did not pose a threat with ball in hand, Canterbury's well organised defence rarely being tested.
Canterbury extended their advantage in the 52nd minute when Hamilton crossed after joining the line when they shifted ball to the right from a 5m scrum.
Centre Casey Laulala laid on Canterbury's fourth try in the 61st minute when he stepped through a gaping hole before feeding replacement Tim Bateman near the line.
Replacement halfback Tyson Keats then charged down a Callum Bruce clearance in the 69th minute and neatly regathered for another five-pointer as Canterbury cleared out to 39-6 before wing Steven Yates completed the game with a touchdown just before fulltime.
Canterbury will host Wellington, 45-3 victors over Southland last night, in next weekend's semifinals.
- NZPA
