Rugby: Otago take the wooden spoon

Shannon Paku of Manawatu. Photo / Getty Images

As if Otago haven't suffered enough, Manawatu rubbed their noses in it today as the two teams completed their national provincial rugby championship obligations for the year.

Manawatu scored six tries to three to register a 46-24 success at Carisbrook in Dunedin, marking just their third win of the season and consigning Otago to the wooden spoon.

Finishing 14th and last was bad enough for the southerners, who also had to endure coming a clear second to the 13th-placed Manawatu side, who led 18-7 at halftime after affecting turnovers on a regular basis.

ITM Cup standings

When young first five-eighth Aaron Cruden, who ended with 16 points, landed his third penalty shortly after the restart Manawatu led 21-7 and threatened to seriously embarrass Otago.

Instead, Otago stayed in the frame when centre Paula Kinikinilau pulled off an intercept to scamper 40m to the line, which Chris Noakes converted before landing his first penalty of the game in the 51st minute to slash the difference to four points.

But Cruden goaled again when Otago infringed just four minutes later and Manawatu then pulled off an intercept of their own when centre Hadleigh Parkes snapped up a loose pass near the 22 before stepping inside one defender en route to the tryline.

Cruden's simple conversion was a gimme and suddenly Manawatu were cruising, 14 points clear with a little more than 20 minutes remaining.

They then put the result beyond doubt 15min from fulltime when hooker Rob Foreman nabbed their bonus point fourth try, finding the line from 4m out after detaching from a maul.

Otago had the minor consolation of managing a third try when replacement No 10 Glenn Dickson dotted down under the crossbar but any satisfaction was fleeting because Manawatu responded immediately when Parkes made a half break, the ball was deflected back by Otago and Lewis Marshall snapped it up to cross in the left-hand corner.

Manawatu had enough petrol in the tank to attack in the dying moments, a run from Marshall leading to a dab down the touchline from flanker Doug Tietjens before replacement halfback Karl Bryson dived over from close range to complete the scoring.

Ironically, 75min earlier the opening score of the match came via an Otago turnover, when skipper Alando Soakai stripped Cruden of the ball before charging 45m to the line.

But that remained the sole highlight for Otago in a spell which featuring two tries to the visitors, the first after a clever chip kick over a lineout from halfback Aaron Smith.

The ball bounced devilishly for the Otago defenders as No 8 James Oliver pounced on the loose ball for Cruden to convert from a wide angle.

There was again a touch of good fortune to Manawatu's second try as well, as a pass from wing Casey Stone went to ground but bounced into the hands of fullback Craig Clare, who had the pace then the strength to force his way over in the right-hand corner.

Manawatu 46 (James Oliver, Craig Clare, Hadleigh Parkes, Rob Foreman, Lewis Marshall, Karl Bryson tries; Aaron Cruden 4 pen, 2 con)

Otago 24 (Alando Soakai, Paula Kinikinilau, Glenn Dickson tries; Chris Noakes pen, 2 con, Dickson con).

Halftime: 18-7

- NZPA