Wellington 23
Otago 19
For 65 minutes Otago looked capable of ending their 52-year Ranfurly Shield drought in the capital last night.
With Wellington in bumbling mood, it seemed the traditionally luckless southerners might finally have caught a break. But a storming Wellington finish, capped by a 90m counter-attack that ended with Hosea Gear's match-winning try, ensured the only thing breaking were Otago hearts.
It was a cruel fate, but one that always looked likely. Wellington had a significant edge in firepower but they fired enough blanks to give Otago every chance of an upset.
The challengers made an ideal start, rumbling within sight of the posts and notching the first points through a penalty to first five-eighths Chris Noakes. When his opposite, Daniel Kirkpatrick, fluffed his restart, Otago swung back on to attack.
That snippet proved to be the formula for the match, with Wellington's basic errors undoing most of their good work.
A Wellington backline bristling with size and speed repeatedly sliced Otago to ribbons but the last pass invariably failed to find its mark.
Fullback Buxton Popoalii was a particularly dangerous customer, breaking through with his first touch and almost scoring with his second after a scything David Smith break.
But three bungled lineouts in succession stalled Wellington and Otago eventually made them pay. Impressive No 8 Stephen Setephano claimed an errant throw and surged forward to set up an attack that ended with Noakes pouncing on a loose ball to score.
Kirkpatrick had earlier levelled with a penalty but little else was going right for the Wellington playmaker.
Otago's greatest strength was their Highlanders' loose trio of Adam Thomson, Setephano and Alando Soakai, whose efforts at the breakdown ensured Wellington lacked the time and space to settle in to the match.
A second Noakes penalty to one from Kirkpatrick meant Otago went to the break eight points ahead. Kirkpatrick missed two chances before finally finding succeeding 10 minutes into the second spell. His horror night was ended early when he was replaced by Fa'atonu Fili, a switch that proved crucial to Wellington's revival.
Shaun Treeby sliced through straight up the middle and replacement lock Daniel Ramsay scored between the posts. Otago clung to a one point lead, but when they turned the ball over inside the Wellington 22, Robert Fruean burst through to spark the breakout that Gear ended in style.
A Fili drop goal made the game safe, with Thomson's try on the final hooter an almost cruel twist.
Wellington 23 (Daniel Ramsay, Hosea Gear tries; Daniel Kirkpatrick 2 pen, Fa'atonu Fili 2 con, drop goal)
Otago 19 (Chris Noakes, Adam Thompson tries; Noakes 3 pen). HT: 3-11
