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Leadership of Randell key to Otago success
Special Correspondent
The mystery over Taine Randell's neglect at All Black level
in the past year, particularly as a captaincy option, deepened
further when the No 8 led Otago to an important national provincial
championship win over North Harbour at Albany on Saturday.
Without Randell, Otago might still have achieved a victory for,
while the score was close at 29-23, Otago always appeared to be
the better-organised side. But despite a strong start when Otago
led 17-3 after 15min, there were several occasions when it seemed
Otago might lose the initiative.
The good start was squandered by a poor second quarter and
when blind-side flanker Troy Flavell and the first five-eighth
Luke McAlister engineered a Harbour try for No 8 Blair Urlich,
Otago, after having played first with a brisk southerly wind,
led only 17-10 at half-time. Otago co-coach Wayne Graham was
not the only one who at that time thought lead was not enough."I
thought we were a try too short," he said.
The challenge facing Otago in the second spell was intensified
when, for 10min, it had to combat Harbour with 14 men. Lock
Peter Bowden, who had just been subbed on for Filipo Levi to
strengthen Otago at the front of the line-out, was sin binned
for a professional foul. It was then Randell's experience and
leadership came into their own. With Randell setting the example
with his close quarter tackling and driving over the advantage
line, the Otago pack gained an upper hand and effectively strangled
Harbour out of the game. "In that second half we had to
dig deep and the key guy in all that was Taine," co-coach
Greg Cooper said. "He played exactly the tactics that were
needed. We needed a leader and fortunately we had a good one
out there." In the 10min in which Bowden was absent, the
only points Harbour gained were those from the penalty for his
offence.
Otago scored the only try in this critical period when wing
Aisea Tuilevu crossed after there had been two powerful charges
from replacement prop Joe McDonnell and open-side flanker Josh
Blackie. That stretched Otago's lead to 29-13. James Jowsey
played fullback for Otago after Neil Brew was ruled out due
to injury. If Otago is looking for a little more pace and spark
in the backline, then wing Dan Parkinson may be an option. He
was in superb form in the second XV curtain-raiser, scoring
a hat trick of tries in Otago's 45-36 win over Harbour. Otago
has an unbeaten record after five matches in the NPC second
XV competition.
Scores. - Otago 29 (J Blackie, J Jowsey, C Hoeft, A Tuilevu
tries, B Feeney 3 conversions, penalty), North Harbour 23 (B
Urlich, M Parkinson tries, L McAlister 2 conversions, 3 penalties).
Half-time:17-10.
Otago B 45 (D Parkinson 3, D Young, T Peacocke, J Aldworth
tries, C Brown 3 cons, 3 penalties), North Harbour B 36 (J Faalogo
2, G Smith, T Pisi, F Stowers tries, Pisi 5 cons, penalty).
Half-time: 29-10.
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