Solid Southland win in the wind

Southland 23 Tasman 14

Southland produced one of the strongest cases of any repechage side so far for inclusion in the Air NZ Cup playoffs when it strode past Tasman yesterday - and did so with a bit of style. Or, at least, until the rain came.

In a sunny but windy Invercargill, Tasman had first use of a brisk breeze but demonstrated a unique strategy: Not using it.

To be fair, Southland won most of the possession during the match, with Hale T-Pole and Dion Bates doing well in the loose and lock Kane Thompson winning lineout ball and joining props Clarke Dermody and Jamie Mackintosh in getting around the field to effect.

However, it was the Southland backs who impressed, particularly in the first half. First five-eighths Blair Stewart controlled his backline cleverly, sending out long passes that blew back to the receivers running into the wind.

Centre Jason Kawau and fullback Kenny Lynn ran hard in the space that opened up and Lynn and big winger Watisoni Lotawa scored tries to give the deep southerners a 17-11 lead at halftime.

For once, the plethora of handling errors that has plagued the Cup thus far were largely absent and the Southland backs enjoyed themselves. However, it was Tasman that struck first, with fullback Robbie Malneek scoring to open up a brief lead - the try coming after an intelligent run and arms-free pass around the tackler by centre Saul Luamanuvae.

Malneek has been one of the finds of the Cup. His four tries is more than anyone else except Waikato's Richard Kahui and Liam Messam (five).

In the second half, however, cold showers ruined some of the handling but Stewart now controlled the match with his kicking - from hand, as well as almost perfect goalkicking. He almost scored with a grubber to himself on the Tasman line but, from the pressure that followed, so did a Stewart penalty and Southland led 23-14.

They really just squeezed the life out of the game after that, pinning Tasman in their 22 or close to it.

Tasman were better in the second half but only Malneek, Luamanuvae and winger Lucky Mulipola showed anything like the penetration needed to beat the Southland defence - and that wind.

But Southland ran down the clock comfortably and were left with plenty in the tank for their next encounter.

Southland 23 (W. Lotawa, K. Lynn tries, B. Stewart 2 con, 3 pen),
Tasman 14 (R. Malneek try, B. Gollings 3 pen).
HT: 17-11.