By James Bennett
Hello and welcome to Pukekohe where Counties are taking on Otago in the ITM Cup Championship final.
Counties have been the form side of the competition, playing a running brand of rugby. Meanwhile Otago have been the quiet achievers in their quest to gain promotion back into the top flight.
We’ll bring you video live updates throughout the match, including video highlights of all the big plays and tries.
Make sure you refresh your page occasionally. We’ll add VIDEO COMING SOON when we’re cutting the highlights and VIDEO UP when it’s ready to be viewed.
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LIVE COMMENTARY: Fulltime: Counties 41 – 16 Otago
Fulltime - It's all over! Counties are ITM Cup Championship winners and will be playing in the top division next year. Great effort. Well deserved.
79 mins - Final stages now, Otago have a feed to the scrum but it's all about Counties tonight, the crowd and chanting "COUNTIES, COUNTIES".
77 mins - Where's the cake because we are ready to put the icing on it. David Bason scoots wide of the ruck and dots down under the sticks, it's celebration time in South Auckland tonight.
74 mins - Kerr nailed the conversion as well! Counties on fire. Tatafu puts a hit on Ioane and Otago get a penalty, they have no option but to go for it now.
73 mins - Awwww Counties, WHAT A TRY! Down the left side, quality passing then Nanai-Williams shows his talent with plenty of gas to go in for what should be the match winner! They celebrate like it's all over, great stuff. VIDEO UP SOON.
71 mins - Fairly aimless kick from the Counties side, easy mark for Ensor and Otago kick downfield. They need points, they need them quick.
69 mins - Steelers in control as the kick for position as far as Buxton Popoali'i they go right keeping the pill in hand. Aww swarming defence from Tony Pulu forces a dropped ball, he knocks it ahead but enevtually it goes out and the Razorbacks will have a lineout throw.
66 mins - Kerr has a crack at goal and misses a fairly regulation attempt. Now or never Otago, what you got?
64 mins - A pretty rough 'not back ten metres' against Otago and Counties swing onto attack once more...Their tails are up, the crowd are getting vocal, this could be hard for the southern men to come back from...
60 mins - TRY TIME! COUNTIES are in with a cracking try. Offloads a plenty, super hands and just a great team try...August Pulu with the five pointer. Kerr converts. VIDEO UP.
58 mins - They do through Ben Smith. Doesn't find touch and that man Nanai-Williams runs it back at them. The move breaks down but we have a Razorbacks scrum. This time the bomb from Parker and Counties get the ball near halfway.
57 mins - Awww August Pulu makes a mess of the 8-9 link knocking it on. Otago scrum same position. Look to clear surely.
55 mins - The crowd find their voice, geting in behind the Steelers. Free kick awarded and they opt for another scrum.
54 mins - Here come the home side. Must have been some tough talk after that penalty because they launch a strong attack on the Otago line. Runners all over the show, Nanai-Williams prominent, stepping, jinking, jiving. Eventually we head to a scrum only about eight metres out in the shadow of the sticks centre field. Options.
51 mins - A penalty gives the visitors a piggy back downfield, then another gives them a crack at goal in handy position. Dickson makes no mistake and Otago close the gap. They are playing the better rugby in this half.
47 mins - He hits the posts and the chasers come in ernest. Counties bang it away and the punch, counter punch rugby union continues. We head to a defensive scrum for Counties. Kerr bangs it high and finds Popoali'i. Otago look to launch.
46 mins - Other side of the park and the visitors get a penalty...Pretty technical stuff from ref Keith Brown. Dickson to have a shot at goal.
44 mins - Penalty and Otago kick for position, they move into enemy territory. Lineout 40 metres out.
41 mins - Back underway and the pace hasn't slowed... A little knock on at lineout time and the Steelers have a scrum in good position, 38 metres out 10 metres in. Great hit from the Razorbacks and they have forced a turnover. Their feed now same position.
HALFTIME
40 mins - Penalty, right on the brink of halftime. It's on halfway and Kerr says "yep, I don't mind that, let's have a shot". He's short with the attempt and Parker puts it out. That's halftime here at Pukekohe.
38 mins - Closing in on halftime but Counties are playing for the sheds. They swing it right but lose it at the breakdown. Turnover and Smith clears for the line. Counties have the throw on the Otago 10m.
36 mins - A kickathon starts up and there's plenty on offer from both sides. Nanai-Williams is up like a salmon to pluck one of them from the air. Counties starting to get the drive on once they pull the pill in and keep it close to chest. But a kickable penalty pops up for for Kerr as play is dragged a couple of minutes back. Liam Coltman done for being off-side and "over eager". Kerr slots one through the stick and Counties stretch their lead, 20-13. Gives Hayden Parker another chance to practice the restart.
31 mins - Th ebb and flow of this match continues... Otago swing onto attack and go within 10 metres but are pinged for holding on and the Steelers have a chance to clear. The crowd really getting in behind the lads.
29 mins - Free kick, tap, TRY! Counties are over through Mark Selwyn under the black dot. One ruck. Selwyn ran one off and had a pretty easy trot to the stripe. Great stuff. Kerr nails the easy kick. Counties back in control....For now.
27 mins - Silky skills from Nanai-Williams, he gathers a kick and puts his own dink well into enemy territory. The resulting throw is not straight and we head to a scrum in good position for the Steelers.
25 mins - Net result: Dickson has a penalty kick at goal and nails it...Otago in the lead for the first time tonight.
23 mins - Wow helter skelter rugby! Otago break out from the Counties 22m line, Ben Smith involved as ever. They go down the left side, Ellison drew and passed to put Popoali'i away but he was cut down in a classic bootlaces tackle. Great stuff. However the Razorbacks have the nut again and in good position...Stay posted.
20 mins - Apologies amid the turnover chaos I missed a Counties penalty kick from Kerr. Dickson nailed the conversion so we are at 10-10 now.
18 mins - Massive lineout drive from the Razorbacks with little resistence from the Steelers. The rumble goes close to the line before Thomson breaks away and dives over. A quick check upstairs and it is a TRY! Couties defence went missing there.
16 mins - Turnover City, population: 30... The tit for tat rugby continues both sides jockeying for position and dominance in the final. Forwards are sorting each other out at ruck time. We head to a lineout on the Steelers 22m Otago throw.
14 mins - Back to the code and they have now officially renamed Pukekohe 'Turnover City' as Counties lose the nut and we pack a scrum, blue ball.
13 mins - The 13th minute is now dedicated to the lad or ladess that just lost $30k.....Gutted....
12 mins - Turnover city at the moment. Back and forth goes the posession, the teams are playing an open brand here tonight. Feels like plenty of points in this one. Steelers swing onto attack inside the Otago 22m.
10 mins - Ohhh bad miatake from Kerr on the restart. He put it out on the full and we have a scrum on halfway. Scrappy...Counties twist the scrum and force a turnover.
9 mins - Dickson makes no mistake this time and Otago are on the board in the final.
7 mins- Otago have a chance to peg some back but Glenn Dickson misses the penalty shot. They enjoy a period on attack just outside the Counties 22m and are rewarded with another shot at goal.
3 mins- Try time! Counties are over early down the left hand flank. A break from Tony Pulu and the little halfback August Pulu was backing up on the inside and dives over for the five pointer. Kerr nails the conversion and it's a 7-0 lead. VIDEO UP.
1 min - We are underway in the final, an early penalty to the Steelers and they clear to touch. Good, hard running early on from the Counties backs as we head to a scrum just over halfway, Counties ball.
National anthem - Crowds are on their feet and belting out the national song. We also just had a minutes silence for Sir Wilson Whineray.
7:29pmUpdate, update...Someone has put $30k on the first stoppage to be a lineout, paying $2.10. Good bet? Or flush it down the dunny?
While you wait for kickoff, while you wait check out what could possibly be the worst ‘filth’ in a game of rugby.
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Teams
Counties Manukau: Tim Nanai-Williams, Tony Pulu, Rey Lee-Lo, Bundee Aki, Sherwin Stowers, Baden Kerr, August Pulu, Jimmy Tupou, DJ Forbes, Mark Selwyn, Daniel Adongo, Ronald Raaymakers, Matt Talaese, Mahonri Schwalger, Simon Lemalu.
Reserves: Suliasi Taufalele, Maka Tatafu, Sikeli Nabou, Maama Vaipulu, David Bason, Kane Hancy, Tyrone Lefau.
Otago: Ben Smith, Marshall Suckling, Tamati Ellison, Glenn Dickson, Buxton Popoali'i, Hayden Parker, Fumiaki Tanaka, Gareth Evans, Lee Allan, Adam Thomson, Rob Verbakel, Jackson Hemopo, Tama Tuirirangi, Liam Coltman, Aki Seiuli.
Reserves: Shota Horie, Jacob Ellison, Adam Hill, TJ Ioane, Peter Breen, Jayden Spence, Tony Ensor.
Pregame banter:
Counties Manukau coach Tana Umaga has urged his players to cap off their national provincial rugby campaign with their best performance of the season.
The Steelers face Otago in the second-tier Championship final in Pukekohe in a battle between the two sides who finished first and second in the division's round-robin phase.
"This is a big occasion for our Counties Manukau rugby family," Umaga said.
"We really appreciate the support we've had this season and want to repay it, by putting in our best performance on tonight in front of our enthusiastic home crowd.'
Flanker Mark Selwyn makes his return in the solitary change to the Counties Manukau starting line-up.
Selwyn comes in for Maama Vaipulu, who has been named on the bench.
Counties Manukau finished the regular season eight points clear of Otago.
They also cruised to a 43-12 victory when the sides met in mid-September.
But Otago will have their All Blacks trio of fullback Ben Smith, centre Tamati Ellison and blindside flanker Adam Thomson on deck this time around.
The inclusion Smith and Ellison, who were in Brisbane for the final Bledisloe Cup Test last weekend, and the return of prop Tama Tuirirangi from a knee injury are the three changes to their starting 15.
The winners of the match get promotion to the Premiership, replacing Hawke's Bay.
Otago will have the services of All Blacks Ben Smith and Tamati Ellison.
Smith will slot in at fullback, replacing the in-form Tony Ensor, meanwhile Ellison joins the midfield relegating Jayden Spence to the reserves.
In the forwards, Tama Tuirirangi is back after injury and will play at tighthead prop while Liam Coltman takes over at hooker.
Captain Glenn Dickson will continue to kick the goals with first-five Hayden Parker nursing a hip injury.
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