Otago remain unbeaten after six games in the Mitre 10 Cup, following a hard fought 24-13 win over North Harbour at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin.
Both sides exchanged penalty goals early on, and it took until the 11th minute for the game's opening try, when Otago prop Craig Miller swooped on a loose ball and ran 22 metres to dive over and score.
Trailing 14-3, Harbour responded when Michael Little broke through the line and threw a perfect pass to fellow centre Matt Vaega who scored in the corner.
First-five Bryn Gatland slotted a late first half penalty for Harbour to cut the lead down to one.
The home side come out roaring in the second half, and scored their second try three minutes in when a powerful run from halfback Johathan Ruru set up hooker Sam Anderson-Heather to plow his way over the line.
North Harbour continued to attack Otago's line, but the home side held strong, keeping Harbour scoreless in the second half to secure the 11 point win.
With the win, Otago now holds a 10 point buffer ahead of Wellington in the Championship standings.
Otago will face their toughest match of the season next week, when they face rampant Canterbury on Saturday night, while North Harbour will face Southland on Sunday afternoon.
Newshub.
