Log o' Wood heading south
The Ranfurly Shield will head to Otago for the first time in more than 50 years.
Otago beat Waikato 26-19 in Hamilton on Friday to claim the Log o' Wood, something the union hasn't achieved since 1957.
Otago took a 16-13 lead into the half-time break and the scores were soon locked up at 16-all early in the second half.
The visitors soon crept ahead with a try to reserve flank TJ Ioane, which ultimately sealed the match.
The Razorbacks prevailed in a rollercoaster encounter.
Waikato made much of the play, leaving Otago to make a huge amount of tackles.
However, the NPC Championship (Second Division) side overcame a lack of ball and field possession, as well as three-and-half nail-biting minutes of added time after the final hooter, to upset their Premiership opponents.
They scored two tries to one, the first to flyhalf Hayden Parker, who also landed all six of his kicks for a personal haul of 21 points.
With the scores tied at 19-19 in the 63rd minute, Ioane began and finished the attack that was to tilt the match Otago's way.
One of the few to distinguish themselves in the Highlanders' disappointing Super Rugby campaign, the loose forward won a superb turnover near the halfway.
Otago moved the ball on and forced a five-metre scrum, from which Ioane followed up skipper Paul Grant's dab for the line by grabbing the loose ball and dotting down.
With a draw enough for Waikato to retain the Shield, Otago were forced into plenty of defence over the closing stages to keep out the home side.
The result also meant Otago have made it two wins from two matches in the national provincial championship, while Waikato have a win and a loss.
All the weekend's scores and scorers:
Waikato 19-26 Otago
Scorers:
Waikato:
Try: Mikkelson
Con: Renata
Pens: Renata 4
Otago:
Tries: Parker, Ioane
Cons: Parker 2
Pens: Parker 4
Northland 13-9 Southland
The scorers:
Northland:
Try: Seymour
Con: Seymour
Pens: Seymour 2
Southland:
Pens: Eade 3
Tasman 13-28 Canterbury
The scorers:
Tasman:
Tries: Lowe, Whiting
Pen: Symons
Canterbury:
Tries: A Whitelock 2, Crotty
Cons: Bleyendaal 2
Pens: Bleyendaal 3
Taranaki 10-29 Wellington
Scorers:
Taranaki:
Try: Brooks
Con: Taylor
Pen: Taylor
Wellington:
Tries: Hill, Filipo 2, Levave
Cons: Sopoaga 3
Pen: Sopoaga
North Harbour 14-44 Counties Manukau
Scorers:
North Harbour:
Try: Smith
Pens: Elrick 3
Counties Manukau:
Tries: Vaipulu, Cathcart, Halai 2, Tuala
Cons: Kerr 4, Anufe
'Pens: Kerr 3
