Rugby: Otago pay price as Harbour back basics

By CHRIS RATTUE

North Harbour 18 Otago 14

It was a u-turn that would have made a politician proud.

Just eight days after ignoring their game plan and committing rugby suicide in Christchurch, North Harbour underwent a personality transplant and re-emerged in Albany as a no-frills, back-to-basics outfit as they clung to an NPC first division victory over Otago.

Harbour's second-round effort against Canterbury was quite hopeless, when they ignored coaching directions and indulged in a mad passing game in tricky conditions against the iron will that is Canterbury rugby.

Yet here was this same team indulging in tactical kicking to the extreme with hardly a mad pass in sight - could this really be North Harbour?

It was like Richard Prebble advocating compulsory unionism, or Graham Capill opening a porn shop.

In coach Wayne Shelford's words, he would rather his side play boring rugby than be entertaining losers.

The great Canterbury, Auckland and Otago teams had made a fine art out of kicking into the corners where more feeble opponents found it hard to extract themselves, Shelford said.

Assistant Allan Pollock even suggested that Harbour had over-indulged in the kicking game plan, removing a wee bit too much flair out of proceedings. All of the North Harbour inside backs including new centre Scott Adams, who was in for the suspended Rua Tipoki, indulged in this kick attack.

Adams put in some of the best - raking left-footers that drove Otago back.

Harbour's plan was to attack Otago's madcap right wing Brendan Laney with kicks, and fullback James Jowsey was also bombarded by first five-eighths Marc Ellis.

Jowsey's failure to handle an Ellis bomb led to North Harbour's second try, to Matua Parkinson who had a tremendous match as did his fellow loose forwards.

Still, it might all have counted for naught if Otago had used their enormous advantage in possession in the second half, and coach Kevin Gloag probably erred in leaving his just-returned All Blacks on the field too long.

Referee Lyndon Bray, who appeared to introduce the forward pass as a legitimate rugby ploy during the game, gave Otago a 14-2 penalty advantage in the second half and the home side spent much of the spell on the ropes.

Shelford complained that Bray had often missed the first infringements, sometimes committed by Otago, and instead penalised the second offences, which saw Harbour on the wrong side of an extraordinary count.

Gloag chose to start All Blacks Pita Alatini, Byron Kelleher, Josh Kronfeld, Kees Meeuws and Anton Oliver and only Kelleher, who had a powerful running game, did himself justice.

Kelleher and massive No 8 Paul Miller were the driving forces for their side. Oliver only added to his reputation of being a dodgy lineout thrower while the other test players were just adequate. The introduction of New Zealand Colt Josh Blackie, for a tiring Kronfeld, gave Otago a new spark and fresh hope.

Kronfeld was given a tremendous ovation on his departure by the small crowd at North Harbour Stadium, as is fitting for a player who has hurled his body around to such good effect for the All Blacks for so long.

But like most of the other internationals who had been rushed back into the Otago side, he looked tired after the flight from South Africa, and the infamous Sydney debrief sessions.

Otago pegged back Harbour's 18-8 halftime lead with a couple of penalties, including one to South African import Justin Swart, but could not cleanly breach some brave and well-organised Harbour defence.

Otago have now made their worst start in NPC history, the first time they have lost their three opening games.

Taine Randell will return against Counties Manukau in Dunedin on Saturday, while Gloag hopes to have Tony Brown (foot) and Carl Hoeft (shoulder) back from injuries.

Gloag said: "I think we'll have to win every game from here."

The match proved to be a great start for the captaincy career of Troy Flavell, who had a strong game, and whose aggression caused Otago plenty of lineout problems.

Harbour will get Ron Cribb - who has gained some radical looking dreadlocks - back for Sunday's match in Whangarei against a Northland side buoyed by success in Wellington.

North Harbour supporters will be asking whether their side have a new, hard-nosed, personality or was Saturday night just another detour on their mad journey.