Fletcher Smith leads Waikato escape in scratchy, lucky win over Southland

Fletcher Smith in action for Waikato Rugby. Photo / Photosport

It is somewhat ironic that patience, composure and execution were the three key ingredients that led to Waikato scratching themselves to a tough fought win over Southland on Sunday.

Ironic because if evidence for large parts of the game is anything to go by, patience and the ability to execute wouldn't be how you'd best describe what was a performance full of holes for Waikato for the first 60 minutes.

And yet, thanks in large part to a late surge led by Fletcher Smith's brilliant boot, it was composure and the ability to execute when it really mattered which was the difference between the two sides.

The 10-9 victory is Waikato's third on the season – and by far their hardest fought.

Southland were always going to be up for it, the wet conditions had been forecast, and the likelihood of a fast-running quality game of rugby never on the cards.

Waikato came in wanting to play their game, typically one that is fast and expansive, but the conditions simply didn't warrant such an approach. Insistence to try and play at a high pace was what led to Waikato's high amount of handling errors, eight of which notched eight in the first stanza alone to head into the sheds scoreless.

Coach Andrew Strawbridge must have surely been frustrated in parts of the first half in particular. Into his second full year as head coach, Strawbridge has consistently talked about the learnings that Waikato take, not just from each game, but the process during the week between games.

It's a process built around composure, being in the moment as much as is possible, and with that it's hoped the players themselves will be able to spot what's going right, and wrong, on the field and adjust accordingly.

With so many ugly moments when trying to build their attack, Waikato needed to adjust how they were going about things, but it certainly wasn't going to be a conservative approach.

Not once was the decision made to kick for goal when Waikato were awarded a penalty in Southland territory.

Eventually it paid off, after a successive build through phases spanning multiple digits, before a beautifully weighted kick from Smith to the impressive Liam Coombes-Fabling who took the ball and powered his way over for the one and only try in the game.

As it had been all day, ill-discipline kept Southland within a sniff, and when the experienced Scott Eade nailed a penalty from the sideline, all Southland had to do was clear their own half and play for territory.

Then Waikato turned the ball over, and after a patient build up, it was the man with the most composure on the park, Fletcher Smith, who would kick the decisive drop goal to seal it for Waikato.

Needing to hold out Southland who had the ball last, strong defensive pressure forced Southland into a drop goal attempt, and it a narrowly missed.

This, by any stretch of the imagination, was a scrappy performance by Waikato who were well fancied against a Southland side still searching for improvement after a dark few seasons of bad results.

The conditions were awful, but eventually Waikato adjusted enough to get the result in a very hard-fought affair.