Stags coach encouraged... lineout woes aside
“Both sides of the ball we were reasonably happy [in the first half] and left a lot out there as well. Second half it was probably just combinations really, and the lineout fell to pieces."
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Otago 33 (McKenzie Palmer 2, George Bower, Lucas Casey, Sam Gilbert tries; Gilbert 2 con, Cameron Millar 2 con), Southland 24 (Morgan Mitchell, Blair Ryall, Charlie Powell, Sean Withy tries; Byron Smith 2 con). HT: 14-19.
A fortnight out from the NPC season opener Southland Stags coach Matt Saunders saw enough in the first half of its preseason hit out against Otago in Gore on Friday to be encouraged.
Southland led 19-14 at halftime before swapping an almost entire playing 15 for the second half in a game played in front of a big crowd at the Pioneer Rugby Club in Gore.
The Stags ended up losing 33-24 after conceding two tries inside the first 10 minutes of the second half.
Although if wasn’t for some second-half lineout woes, Southland would have been in a strong position to push for victory.
Otago made Southland pay for its lineout mistakes in the second half, but overall Saunders was buoyed by what he saw in the first 40 minutes at least.
“Both sides of the ball we were reasonably happy [in the first half] and left a lot out there as well. Second half it was probably just combinations really, and the lineout fell to pieces,” Saunders said.
“It was just timing with some inexperienced guys, but we just need to get better. But it was pretty positive.”
“Last year, [against Otago in preseason], it was 30-nil, and we didn’t fire a shot. So, we got some good stuff out of [Friday].”
On the second half lineout front, Saunders said some of the players hadn’t had a lot of time together which added to the challenges.
The reality is the personnel involved in the second half lineout struggles will be vastly different from the pack that will take on Otago in round one at Rugby Park on August 10.
For a start, Highlanders lock Mitch Dunshea sat out Friday’s preseason fixture against Otago. Dunshea is expected to line up in the Southland jersey for the first time on Friday in the Stags’ second and final preseason hit out against Tasman in Christchurch.
The experienced Josh Bekhuis also missed the Gore game and is a key figure at lineout time. He too is expected to play against Tasman on Friday.
Southland will take 26 players to Christchurch for the Tasman hit out and is expected to name a close-to-full-strength lineup for that fixture after mixing it up in Gore.
Others expected to return, who missed the game against Otago, will include Super Rugby players Viliami Fine and Matt Whaanga.
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Meanwhile, former Waikato, Bay of Plenty, and Counties first five-eighth Jason Robertson has just arrived in Southland to link with the Stags.
Robertson has just finished playing in the Major League Rugby competition in the United States.
One concern that did come from Friday’s game was a knee injury to lock Woody Kirkwood.
Kirkwood had a strong first half before having to leave the field early in the second half.
Saunders wasn’t 100% certain of the extend of the injury soon after the game.
Southland will open its 2024 NPC campaign with the annual Stag Day fixture against Otago at Rugby Park in Invercargill on Saturday, August 10.