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| Otago - NPC
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Last minute try lifts Otago into second place in NPC
By Brent Edwards
Invercargill: Mathew Priscott celebrated his national championship
debut by scoring the match-saving try for Otago against Southland
on Saturday.
Priscott, who will turn 22 on Wednesday, came on as a replacement
for centre Reuben Parkinson seven minutes from the end and scored
in the corner after Otago shoved Southland off the ball at the
scrum. "It was good hands from those inside me and I really just
had to dive over but I was pretty stoked," Priscott said later.
But there were certainly no celebrations in the Otago dressing-room
as players reflected on the 18-18 draw. "We're disappointed with
the way we played but we're relieved we got away a draw," Priscott
said later. "Two points are better than none." Priscott, who is
studying physical education and science at the University of Otago,
made his first appearance for Otago (as a right wing) in the non-championship
match against Wellington at Athletic Park on August 7.
Ironically, Otago has moved from third to second place despite
its sub-standard performance on Saturday. Auckland, Otago, Canterbury
and Waikato make up the top four after three rounds of the NPC
but the Otago team is under no illusions it will need to improve
to beat North Harbour at Carisbrook next Sunday. "We wanted 12
points from our first three games and we've got 11," coach Kevin
Gloag said. "Southland was probably hungrier and more urgent and
it was fortunate we got it together in the last minute." Gloag
said one of the positives was the new inside back combination
of Cory Brown and Matt Carrington. "They were under a lot of pressure
at times but they stuck to the task well."
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