KEY POINTS:
North Otago finished as top qualifiers in pool A of rugby's Heartland Championship after crushing Wairarapa Bush 44-19 in Oamaru today.
The key turning point in the game came shortly after halftime when North Otago flanker Ross Hay charged down a clearing kick and regathered to score to make it 17-7 to his team.
Until then it had been a relatively even affair with both sides having their moments in the first spell.
After Hay's try, things went from bad to worse for the visitors, with a Wairarapa Bush try disallowed minutes later for a punch thrown in back play.
North Otago then seized the momentum, with replacement loose forward Samisoni Tongotongo scoring in the 58th minute and winger Lemi Masoe two minutes later to seal victory.
Wairarapa Bush never stopped trying and pulled back tries in the last quarter to Cash Lafaele and Junior Togia, before North Otago added their fifth close to fulltime through replacement back Jone Paumau.
North Otago 44 (Lemi Masoe 2, Ross Hay, Samisoni Tongotongo, Jone Paumau tries. Pale Tuilagi 5 con, 3 pen) Wairarapa Bush 19 (Nick Olson, Cash Lafaele, Junior Togia tries; Patrick Rimene 2 con) Halftime: 10-7.
- NZPA
