Rugby: Tasman hold off Otago in thriller

Sione Teu of Otago in action Tasman. Photosport

Tasman centre Levi Aumua went from hero to villain but his team held on to beat Otago 29-27 in an NPC thriller in Dunedin.

The visitors notched a third straight win and clamber into fourth place in the Premiership while Otago remain third in the Championship after a two-match winning streak was broken.

New signing Aumua proved a central figure in the match, firstly by scoring a contender for individual try of the season as Tasman pulled ahead 22-13 by halftime.

The strapping centre received the ball from a standing start 45m out and remarkably shrugged off seven tacklers to score. A former junior on the NRL books of the Brisbane Broncos, the 23-year-old played in the French Top 14 for Bordeaux Begles before returning home.

Levi then blotted his copybook with a tipping tackle on Adam Wright, which resulted in the Otago No.8 being driven head-first towards the turf. The incident, with 24 minutes remaining, warranted an automatic red card.

Tasman were leading 29-13 at that point but were forced to cling on as Otago created rapid-fire tries to centre Sio Tomkinson and loose forward Sione Teu.

However, they couldn't score again in the closing minutes.

Tasman shot clear early on as winger James Lowe created a try to fullback Will Jordan and then scored himself.

A penalty try after halftime was earned when Otago first five-eighth Josh Ioane was deemed to have deliberately knocked the ball on to prevent a try.

His yellow card was followed soon afterwards by the same punishment to Tasman skipper Alex Ainley, for a professional foul.

- AAP