Otago 7 Canterbury 27
KEY POINTS:
As one All Black lock leaves Canterbury, so you get the feeling they may be in the process of developing another.
With Chris Jack off to Europe after the World Cup - and playing for Tasman before he does - there was a glimpse, a hint, that a long streak of South Island gristle and bone called Isaac Ross might fancy taking his place some day.
Ross rose highest in the lineout, burgled a bit of Otago ball and, on the odd occasion he stretched out in the loose, he showed he had a turn of pace and hands like buckets which comfortably cradle a rugby ball.
Ross played much of last year but looks to have changed up a gear or two. His promise was also the major difference between a stubborn Otago side who seem to have few players of real promise and a Canterbury side who looked for much of the game as though they'd remembered the 'canter' part of their name but had forgotten how to 'bury' this particular opponent.
They made too many mistakes - the final pass, ball security and general unforced errors.
But, even playing averagely, the Canterbury promise inherent in players like Ross, fellow youngster like flanker Kieran Read and first five-eighths Stephen Brett just does not seem to be in evidence in Otago playing ranks these days.
Few who are not from the deep South understand the bitter rivalry in an Otago-Canterbury derby but the only thing bitter in this clash was the look the Otago team must have taken at the scoreboard last night.
Down the years, Otago sides have taken to the red-and-blacks with a will and a decidedly physical game plan. They might not always have won but the Cantabs always had several reminders of their opponents when they woke up the next morning.
But, with Otago rugby enduring what seems likely to be a long and lowly cycle, the gulf in talent was clear and Otago must have felt frustration at the knowledge Canterbury hadn't played particularly well but were still comfortably superior.
They've been a bit limp, Otago, with that 68-7 massacre from Wellington a nasty business. But, for a time, with flanker Adam Thompson and skipper Tom Donnelly leading the way - and with hooker Jed Vercoe finding Donnelly and fellow lock Ross Kennedy in the lineout - Otago set about Canterbury with some old-fashioned grunt.
They also look a little sharper in the backline with Charlie Hore at first-five. But the shame of it for Otago this season is that, no matter how well their forwards might strive, they lack the class in the centres, out wide and in creativity to hurt teams like Canterbury.
It took 25m for Canterbury to get some rhythm and cut the errors down to acceptable levels. They drove solidly from a lineout, Otago were hanging off the fringes and Campbell Johnstone drove over for a rare prop's try to go with Brett's penalty and for a 10-0 lead at the break.
Brett, Read, fullback Scott Hamilton and winger Paul Williams - he is starting to look a little like Australia's Mark Gerrard in build and attacking style - were starting to probe by the end of the first half and they combined early in the second.
Read drove from a ruck, Brett popped up a searching wipers kick to Hamilton who had positioned himself out wide and all alone like a shag on a rock. It was a simple matter to catch and score.
Then it was 17-0 and Canterbury brought on two All Blacks - World Cup halfback Andrew Ellis and don't-go-to-Tahunanui-beach-alone Rico Gear.
Ellis looked sharpish and scored from a tap penalty near the Otago line. His running brings an extra dimension over Kevin Senio and it is hard to figure why Robbie Deans is starting with the latter.
Meanwhile, Otago continued to struggle to score. Even when Brett gave the ball away near his own line and the referee made a God-awful hash of setting the scrum, Canterbury survived the bash-and-crash stuff near the line. Then they shunted Otago back in the scrum, for all the world like the heavy roller heading for the Carisbrook cricket pitch.
That zero on the scoreboard was starting to burn its way into Otago retinas - but at least Otago centre Brett Mather walked through a weak Casey Laulala tackle to score after 77m.
Spirit, they had. It's just sparkle they lack.
Otago 7 (B. Mather try, C.Hore con); Canterbury 27 (C. Johnstone, S. Hamilton, A. Ellis tries, S. Brett 3 con, 2 pen). Halftime: 0-10.
