Otago beat North Harbour

5.45pm - by CHRIS RATTUE

OTAGO 29 NORTH HARBOUR 23

Otago held off a North Harbour fightback to win their NPC first division clash at Albany today.

As in the previous week against Wellington, North Harbour gave the visitors a flying start and had to mount a rear-guard action in the second half. Once again they fell short.

Otago led 17-10 at half-time and could have been further ahead but for two try-saving tackles from teenage North Harbour first five-eighth Luke McAlister.

McAlister robbed Otago flanker Josh Blakie close to the line and then chased down All Black halfback Byron Kelleher to help keep his side in the game.

With Otago leading by just 22-13, the game appeared to go North Harbour's way when Otago lock Peter Bowden was sin-binned for ten minutes. But Otago actually outscored the homeside by 4 points during Bowden's absence.

North Harbour reduced the deficit to 23-29 in the 78th minute with a Matua Parkinson try but could not pull off an unlikely escape act.

Scores:

Otago 29 (Josh Blackie, James Jowsey, Carl Hoeft, Aisea Tuilevu tries; Blair Feeney pen, 3 con)

North Harbour 23 (Blair Urlich, Matua Parkinson tries; Luke McAlister 3 pen, 2 con).

Halftime: 17-10.

In other first division games:

Auckland scored eight tries and picked up a bonus point beating Southland 43-17 in Invercargill.

Keith Lowen and Regan King had two tries each to help Waikato to a 49-35 win in Wellington.